The Snowman
by Arcadya
Summary: The team must catch an UnSub who only appears during Winter. Eight women are believed victims, who will be next? Finally finished!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone, this is my first Criminal Minds fic. Yay for me, and for the show...it totally rocks my world. I'm such a NERD!**

**So, please read and review if you feel like it. I love _constructive_ criticism. If you're just going to bag me out, stop reading and leave me in peace.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, I only dream.**

The Introduction of 'The Snowman'

_Blondes make the best victims. They're like virgin snow that shows up the bloody footprints._

_Alfred Hitchcock_

Jennifer Jareau moved towards the front of the conference room, "Alleghany County, Virginia

Jennifer Jareau moved toward the front of the conference room, "Alleghany County, Virginia. Eight women are believed to have been abducted. They're calling him "The Snowman".

"The Snowman?" inquired Derek Morgan.

"Why believed?" asked Aaron Hotchner, overriding Morgan's question.

"Well, the local community believes that eight women have been taken but they've only found two of his victims."

"Only two?" The first time in a long time Spencer Reid didn't have a statistical or historical comment to make.

"The first two." JJ continued, "Shelly Buyers and Jodie Shipper were abducted from their bedrooms in December of 2006."

"From their bedrooms?" Emily Prentiss echoed.

"Yeah, Shelly was eighteen, Jodie was twenty-five. Both blondes, blue eyes, tall."

"So, he obviously has a type." Morgan added.

JJ squirmed uncomfortably; even she had recognized she fit the UnSub's preference. She cringed as she continued knowing it was going to be difficult to get Hotch to allow her to go out to Alleghany. "Shelly Buyers was missing for two days; since she was the first victim the Police didn't really have time to arrange a search. By the time they did they found her body in a snow drift. She was wearing different clothes, and had been sexually assaulted before her death."

"COD?" Rossi posed.

"Strangulation." JJ paused, "But with the temperatures up there the coroner said even if she had survived the suffocation attempt the cold would have overcome her."

Hotch reflected on the case file, there wasn't much physical evidence here. Only photos from the first two victims. They needed more information and he wasn't sure JJ could give it to them.

"So, Jodie Shipper was abducted about a week later, kept for approximately five days, the Police aren't too sure about that because a frozen body is, well, it's hard to get an accurate time of death. Those were the two abductions in December." She drew in a breath and glanced around the room. Reid, Hotch and Morgan were all looking at her, Rossi and Emily were sifting through the crime scene photos and Garcia was intently focused on her laptop.

"Ah, so…" JJ was beginning to get annoyed with herself, she wasn't usually this flustered. She'd been an UnSub's type before and never felt this degree of uneasiness. "Delilah Hanover, twenty-nine, abducted from her bedroom about five days after Jodie was discovered. No body was found. But nine days after her disappearance Ariel Wannamaker, twenty, disappeared too. From her bedroom. And then the abductions stopped. No more bodies found and the limited trail went really cold."

"That's only four women." Reid stated.

"I know. In December 2007 Susie Toole, twenty-seven, was abducted in the middle of her shift at a local cleaning agency."

"How did the Police connect that to the previous abductions, it's a completely different MO." Prentiss asked.

"Susie was blonde, blue eyed and tall. They presumed that he just changed his mode of abducting the women since everyone house had their windows barred after the last year's abductions. After, seventeen days Belinda Munch, twenty-three, disappeared from her job, assistant to a veterinarian. She mainly cleaned up after the animals. The Sheriff was very specific that I relate that fact to you. He seemed to think it was important."

"Well, it does seem with the newer two girls that them cleaning is a factor." Morgan added.

"And then, thirty-two days after Belinda disappeared Cady Plumpton, nineteen, went missing."

"Was she in any capacity a cleaner?" Reid asked.

"Yes. She worked for the rival company of Susie Toole's agency. Another cleaning agency." JJ sent a concerned look over to Garcia.

"But this all happened last year, and the year before, why are we only hearing about this now?" Rossi commented.

"Well, I don't really know but they think it's started up again. That's why they call the UnSub "The Snowman", he only takes the women during winter, when it's snowing. And because the first two were found in snow drifts. But just last night Betty Sumner disappeared. She's seventeen, blonde, blue eyed and tall."

"Call the jet." Hotchner ordered, before leaving the room.

JJ nodded, and turned to stare back at the screen, looking at the women who they had little chance of helping. She started when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Emily quickly removed her hand, "Sorry, it's ok to be freaked out every once in a while."

"I'm not fr-"Emily's look stopped her statement, "I just, I look like them Em. And you know, usually this, it…it doesn't bother me but right now. I'm scared. I can't…"

"JJ." Emily voice lowered, soothed her. "Maybe you're scared because it's not just you anymore. There's two of you now, you know and that's so perfectly natural."

"You think?"

Morgan had yet to completely leave the room, he'd seen JJ stall and stammer, not something he normally associated with the effervescent woman. Emily was doing a great job of calming her fears, but he had to wonder, maybe JJ would be safer if she stayed in Quantico with Garcia.

"Oh come on, as if Morgan or Hotch are ever going to let anything happen to you now you've got a little JJ in there. And Reid…wow, have you seen the way he hovers. I'd have chopped him up into little bits by now if he did that to me." Emily smirked when her comment had its desired effect. JJ giggled. Her nerves easing off.

"Besides, nobody's going to let you out of their sight in Alleghany. I promise." Emily was completely serious. She'd be in the bathroom when JJ showered if it was necessary.

**cringes in anticipation**

**So...what did you think?**

**Arc**


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh, I realized when I posted last that I forgot to explain something about Rossi. I don't have a very good handle on him, I'm not sure about his character - he always just seems to be trying to overcome his ego. So, he's in the story - but please excuse any inconsistencies if you notice them. Or, hey, let me know about them and I'll try to fix it!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own the tv show, just my imagination and this story.**

Quantico to Alleghany County

"You know we weren't that far from Alleghany County, it's all still Virginia. Why are we flying there?" Morgan asked. Not because he really wanted to drive, or because he really wanted to ask the question, it was just that the tension in the jet was getting to him. Every single member of the team was watching JJ like a hawk, they weren't even in Alleghany County yet and you didn't need to be a profiler to see JJ's nervousness.

Emily picking up on Morgan's hint "Oh, well, we'll just pull over right now and let you out."

"I'm just saying…a nice drive in the Virginian countryside, warm SUV's, great company." He wiggled his eyebrow suggestively at Prentiss, who was sitting next to JJ.

"We're not going on a date Morgan."

Hotch watched the interaction with interest. He'd seen Morgan and Prentiss' interactions through his office many times before but never with such a front row seat. His insides jumped a little at the completely deadpan manner of Prentiss' joking with Morgan. She usually employed body language when joking with the others. He concluded she must feel very comfortable with Derek.

"We're not? Oh no, I was sure I planned this out perfectly. A little wine, a little moonlight." He smile brightened as JJ took more interest in his and Emily's flirtation.

"Oh, is that what you meant the other day, when I was complaining about paperwork and you offered me some cheese with my whine?"

Morgan laughed, so did JJ. "No my dear friend, that was the good ol' Derek Morgan charm working you into a dating frenzy. Women like you can't resist me."

"Yes, that must be why after that blatantly obvious request for my companionship I arrived at JJ's with you as my date."

"Damn, you went to JJ's that night." Morgan feigned disappointment.

"That's right; we tried to find 'Brad, the real FBI Agent', didn't we." Emily nudged JJ.

"Yes we did. Although Will didn't really see the attraction to finding him." JJ's eyes sparkled with the memories, both of 'Brad, the FBI Agent' and Will's attempts to re-enact him from the girls' descriptions. Hotch felt better after their success in relieving the tension on the plane, although the focus of the attention was JJ, Hotch couldn't help but be drawn to the humor apparent in Prentiss' eyes. The compassion and friendliness he saw there often, noticing again that it was rarely focused on him.

They'd set up in a corner of the Police department. The town was eerily vacant for such a pretty time of year. New snow peppered the lawns and streets with just enough white to make for a postcard snapshot without overbearing the viewer with thoughts of avalanches and frostbitten fingers.

"Please, you have to find her…my daughter she'd been missing for two days. Please Sheriff Coulter!" A woman in her late forties was desperately pleading with the Sheriff. A stricken look planted on her face.

"Look, Ms. Hawkner. I know you're worried about your daughter Ma'am. But she's twenty years old. Perhaps she just went off with a couple of friends, road trip. Maybe she's still passed out from her weekend partying. You do realise we believe that 'The Snowman' might be back."

Morgan and Prentiss watched the scene with particular interest. The Sheriff managed to palm her off onto a younger colleague; he then wandered over to them. Shaking his head, "Her daughter's not even blonde. Nothing to worry about there."

After he had left Prentiss leaned toward Morgan and said under her breath "No, she's just missing in a snowstorm, nothing to worry about at all…I'm going to go and talk to her." Morgan nodded. He watched as she approached the distraught mother, guiding her away from the uninterested cop and to a more comfortable place to talk. The woman considerably calmed down. She always had that effect. Emily could calm anyone down. She'd done it numerous times; hell…JJ had calmed right down after being savagely attacked by three dogs, what Morgan would forever think of as the 'Henkel' incident. The one time he truly believed he hadn't been a very good friend to her.

"Ms. Hawkner." Emile began. "I'm sure Sheriff Coulter didn't mean to slight or in any way demean the worry you have for your daughter. He's just overwhelmed because of what's been happening to the other women in the town."

"So just because my daughter's not a blonde, she's not worthy of his attention?" Ms. Hawkner's voice raised a few octaves in anger.

"No, that's not it at all. That's why I came to talk to you. Your daughter is worthy of my attention." She stressed the '_my'_ knowing that at least in a personal capacity, the woman would know that someone cared, "Now are you sure she's just not out with friends and forgotten to let you know?"

"Claudia's not like that. She knows how I worry. She's my baby girl. Two older brothers, who watch her like hawks. She never got away with anything as a child so now she doesn't even bother. She's as perfect a daughter as I could hope for. But, it's not widely known. She can't see in colour. It's a rare condition. Not exactly colour blindness where you mistake green for brown or red for yellow or something. But actual colour blindness. She only sees in black and white. It's called Monochromacy." Ms. Hawkner shrugged slightly. "She loves winter, because she feels like everyone else can see like she does. When she was a child that's how I described why she saw things differently. Because she's my snow baby. But winter, snow, is dangerous for her. It's harder to distinguish what's out there because of the already white and black world."

"So, you're saying. She wouldn't just leave." Emily was beginning to understand why Ms. Hawkner was so upset.

"I know you can never totally vouch for another's actions but she wouldn't. Not in winter. Not my Claudia."

"I can't promise you much. I'm here in an official capacity to find…'The Snowman'" Emily cringed at having to use the media's nickname for the UnSub, "But I will be on the lookout for information about your daughter, and I'll make sure my team knows about her too."

"Thank you Miss Prentiss...for at least, caring about my situation." Ms. Hawkner dried her face; it was obvious to Emily that Ms. Hawkner was aware of how very little she could actually do to help without the support of the Sheriff. The older woman arranged herself a little and then left the station.

Emily sighed; she had to get back to doing the victimology with Reid and Morgan.

**So...how's it tracking for you, my dear readers?**

**Arc**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the next installment.**

**Disclaimer: Again, nothing is mine except the storyline and the characters who have never before been seen in the CM world.**

Victimology

"So, what are we thinking is the victimology of this UnSub?" Hotch asked, he and Rossi had been to both snowdrift sites, even though they hadn't been crime scenes in over a year or two. They'd visited the bedrooms of the missing and the workplaces of the abducted women.

"Possibly a stalker first, but some kind of personalized MO, a ritual even. The only thing I can't figure out is why he changed, if it is even the same UnSub." Prentiss began.

"Yeah, I'm mean; first off the UnSub's what? A peeping tom who escalates into abductor? The first four Vic's were abducted from their beds. The next three from their places of work – all jobs related to cleaning. Then this recent one, Betty Sumner, disappeared from where exactly?" Morgan asked.

"There's no information about her disappearance. She just didn't come home. Went out with a group of friends, at least that's what she told her parents." JJ looked worriedly towards the makeshift timeline they had pinned to one wall. The longer this case went, and it was pretty long already (given the two year timeline they had going), the less evidence they had.

"We need to have more information about the UnSub." Rossi interrupted the silence, "There's not enough here to even get past the basics. It could even be two different UnSub's using 'The Snowman' as a cover."

"I know" Hotch said, staring darkly toward the table. A distinct lack of anything helpful was beginning to give him an extremely bad feeling. "So, what do we know?"

"Ah, he's most likely a white male, twenty-five to forty. Strong build, local, knows the area. Either hates winter or is fanatic about it. Given the fact that all the abductions take place during that time." Reid rattled off the profile.

Emily sighed, "This isn't exactly the best profile we've ever given."

"Agreed but the separations between abductions, the groupings mean that the UnSub is very patient, at least until he abducted a victim. Then he seems to have little control of his urgings." Hotch stated.

"Are we assuming that every time he abducts a new victim, the old one is…deceased?" Emily asked carefully.

"Why do you say that?" Rossi questioned.

"Well, I just get the feeling that the UnSub is searching for something in particular with these women. That he won't stop 'til he gets what he's looking for. I don't believe he's functioning under a mission based mindset. It's more…" she trailed off looking at the timeline and the groupings.

"Yes?" JJ prompted softly. She'd seen Emily un-focus mid-sentence like that before, usually right before her mind jumped to some weird but accurate hypothesis. Some people like Morgan and Hotch used a A + B C arrangement. While Emily was more instinctive, she seemed to skip letters completely and intuitively jump to C, then backtrack to find the A's and B's that supported her argument. JJ couldn't even begin to describe how Reid came to know what he did but then, Reid was a genius, eidetic memory and all that.

"What if he's fine-tuning?" Emily began, haltingly though, still working through the idea.

"Fine-tuning what?" Reid asked.

"Not sure exactly. But the time distances between abductions grows, so he's either evolving in his rituals, sexually or physically. He's perfecting his craft…Reid what's the ratios between abductions?"

"Oh ah…" Reid stopped, a stunned expression entering his face as his mind utilized his memory to compile the data. "The gaps between abductions are nine, nine and nine the first year, seventeen and thirty-two the next."

"Ok, but didn't the coroner make estimates as to how long the first group of women were kept alive for?" Rossi asked picking up on the idea Emily had.

"Ah…yes, Shelly Buyers, the first abductee was probably alive for two days, and Jodie Shipper, the second abductee was probably alive for four days."

"So add that into your calculations Reid." Morgan demanded.

"Right, so…two days captive, seven free, four days captive, five free, nine and then another abduction. Oh."

"What?" The team collective asked.

"Emily's right. He's fine-tuning his process. Two then seven, four then five, most likely the next victim was six then a three day gap to the last victim."

"Then what about this next grouping of victims?" Morgan inquired.

"That's difficult because if it's the same UnSub, he's changed his method." Rossi answered.

"Maybe he…" Emily started but failed to continue.

"Em?" Reid leant over and touched her arm. She was completely zoned out; even physical touch couldn't reach her. "Em?" He shook her arm a little hard this time. Glancing around to the others, he noticed their concerned expressions too. "Emily!" Reid demanded.

"Huh? Oh yeah. Um, I guess I was going to say…"

"Yes?" Hotch pressed.

"Maybe the UnSub decided…he needed to see the women awake before he took them?" Emily had never posited a scenario with such a lack of confidence before, even Hotch was surprised by her disposition.

"So you think it's the same UnSub?" Rossi inquired.

"Eh." Emily didn't want to commit to such a big statement. She went to shrug her shoulders in the universal gesture of not-knowing but, she truly felt that she was on to something. She wanted to dismiss her own thoughts in a bid to appear more confident in front of the team, especially Hotch and Rossi.

"It's possible" Morgan began, "If it's the same UnSub, the change in place of abduction could be linked to an evolution in choice of victim. What if the UnSub was a peeping tom like I said earlier? Who evolved into an abductor of the very women he spied upon. But when they awoke where ever he keeps them. He didn't like what he found. They fought, or cried too much, just weren't who he wanted them to be. Wouldn't that explain a change in victimology?"

"So he changed type from sleeping women whose personality's he couldn't gauge to women who cleaned?" Prentiss asked, relieved that Morgan was at least giving her vague hypothesis a chance.

"Traditionally, cleaning is an act of servitude. The superior does not clean; the superior is the breadwinner, the head of the household or business. Typical of feudal systems in the Middle Ages. It is also thought that, stereotypically, women make better wives when they are proficient in household duties." Reid spouted.

"He changed from sleeping women to cleaners because it suggests what?" JJ inquired.

"A more conducive nature to his fantasies." Rossi posited.

"He's looking for a wife." Hotch concluded.

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**So...reviews please :)**

**Arc**


	4. Chapter 4

**A new chapter for all those who read and the special few who review. I just love all you guys! :)**

**Disclaimer: blah blah, not mine, etc.**

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"Greetings Earthling, you have reached the fair and wonderful Angel of W-ACHOO!"

"The Angel of Wa-achoo? I kind of expected something better than that Garcia." Emily said wryly, smirking at Morgan when he turned.

"Hey Baby Girl" he greeted ducking close enough to the phone so that she could hear him.

"I have a sneeze thing." Garcia replied.

"Not a cold or the flu?" Emily continued.

"Nah, just a nasty old sneeze...thing. I'm fine to keep going. I could even come up for a road trip."

"Up to you I guess."

"More like up to the great and indisputable Hotch. Super G-man in a super-conservative suit."

Emily stifled a giggle.

"He won't let me." Garcia elaborated. "Something about cold weather, wet weather, too far away for me to travel with me honking like a goose stuck in a Lamborghini. And maybe something about not being good for the baby." She ended in a mumble.

"So he's playing the concerned card right?"

"Yeah, but he's right. Not good for little Jayje. Having a sneezerific God-aunt bellowing mucus everywhere."

"Eeww!" Emily half-shrieked into her phone, causing Morgan, Hotch and Rossi to turn and stare.

"Sorry, so what were you calling about?" Garcia responded as she tried to sniff without alerting the fact over her speakerphone.

"Ah, right. I just wanted you to check into the bank records, telephone, and mobile records of a Claudia Hawkner."

"Oh is she a Vic?" Garcia asked. As if telepathically mirroring Garcia, Hotch and Rossi both turned to Emily, listening into her side of the conversation, mainly because she had yet to tell them about the Hawkner's predicament. She hadn't wanted to interrupt their victimology session.

"No. Just, her mother's really worried and the cops aren't interested with all the Snowman business. I just figured…"

"Yeah, yeah. I totally understand. Poor thing. How long she's been out of circulation?"

"Coming up on three days now. Ms. Hawkner would really just appreciate someone doing something."

"Agreed. I'll let you know." She was about to hang up when she sensed Emily go to say something. "Yes my little conundrum?"

"Could you check the victim's bank statements too, from when they went missing?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Can't explain really. Just a feeling."

"Gut feeling?"

"Maybe." Emily answered. Morgan looked over inquisitively.

"Let me speak to my Beautiful Boy ok Em?" Garcia asked.

"Sure thing" Emily replied as she swiftly threw the mobile to Morgan.

"Enlighten me." He said.

"Watch out for Em, ok. And Jayje goes without saying." Morgan stood up and moved away from the group to a private section of the room. So basically he was standing in a corner.

"Emily's not even the UnSub's type." He answered.

"I know, but when I disregarded my gut feeling…I-"

"I know. Battle."

"Just. Nothing seriously bad has happened to Emily yet. Sure, she got whacked up the head by a crazy, a little blood. But nothing serious. I just…"

"Garcia. What is it?" Morgan was more than concerned now. Garcia and gut feelings were not to be dismissed.

"Every time she goes out now, with you guys. I'm convinced something bad's going to happen to her. Like it's her turn or something."

"That's ri-"

"Don't you dare say ridiculous Morgan!"

"No, I wasn't I was going to say that's…really unlikely." Even to his ears his comeback sounded ridiculous.

"Sure, sure. Just do me a favour. Don't let anything happen to my friends." Garcia sneezed again as if to punctuate her plea.

"I promise." Morgan felt the tiniest bit of unease promising that. But with JJ in round the clock supervision and Emily being a kick-ass FBI agent, everything was going to be alright. So why was there this feeling of dread?

"I'm so ready for dinner." JJ sighed, as the team walked into the restaurant Sheriff Coulter had mentioned.

"Hmm mm." Emily intoned. Hotch wasn't sure if she was really paying attention to the conversations going on around her or merely making sounds when she felt it to be appropriate. She really wasn't keyed into the team tonight. Ever since she'd begun to question the UnSub's true motives, her concentration had gone out the window. He needed her back in the here and now if he was going to let her and JJ share a room by themselves. The group shuffled toward a fairly large table sitting just off-centre from the main window. Those lucky enough to sit on the far side of the table would have a picturesque view of the snow covered town. Emily and Hotch weren't that lucky, but they did have a particularly good view of a painting hung up on the interior wall. A snow scene, very white and very cold looking. If cold ever had a look you could capture in a painting, that painting would be the one you would get. At least that's what Emily was musing when the waiter asked her for her order.

"Miss, your order?" he repeated.

"Oh, uh…" Emily stumbled as she picked up the menu for the first time. Quickly scanning the first page, she flushed as Morgan's low throaty laugh rumbled from across the table.

"May I suggest the winter special?" the waiter said.

"Yes, I'm sure that's fine. Thank you." Emily placed the menu carefully back on the table resolved to never look these people in the eye again.

After a few moments of silent awkwardness, Morgan, JJ and Reid returned to their previous conversation; football, Superbowl, sports in general. Hotch and Rossi started up a new conversation revolving around their early work together in the BAU. However Emily was still slipping into that other world, her visual focus though kept coming back to the painting across the room. Eventually she gave up all pretence and stood up rapidly, startling the table. But as she ambled across the room the team relaxed and chalked her odd behavior up to Emily-itis. Unfortunately for Emily, there happened to be an elderly lady sitting at the table beneath the picture. She had to introduce herself awkwardly before asking permission to stand, hovering over the petite lady to view the painting.

"Oh no trouble at all dear." She replied. "I do so love this painting. It's so very quiet and cold, unassuming in its starkness."

Emily refocused her attention on the woman sitting meekly beneath her. "You study this painting a lot then?" she asked.

"I do so admire artistry," the lady replied.

"I'm Emily."

"Agnes, my dear…I believe back in the olden days it was common for people to shorten my name to Aggie, I do so abhor that contraction. Please, call me Ness."

Emily smiled quickly and easily. The first time she'd felt truly comfortable since walking out of the police station an hour before.

"Ness. Do you know what this is a painting of?"

"No, my dear. I've spent many a winter's night sitting here contemplating that very question. My dear Albert and I used to have such hearty discussions about that very thing…back when he was still around." Ness clutched her left hand quickly, caressing the golden band still resting there.

"Do you only come here during winter?" Emily inquired.

"Oh no, they change the paintings with the seasons. They're very contemporary like that here." Ness replied, "Would you be a dear and finish off this last piece of apple for me. I'm not as hungry as I used to be."

"Sure" she answered. The apple in question had been cut into quarters and then halves, probably by the staff. The familial feeling surrounding the community, particularly the restaurant, was reminiscent of her Grandfather's house up in the woods of France, everyone pitching in and accommodating the quirks of the others. Emily snatched up the piece of fruit and popped it into her mouth, and then she started to choke and cough. Ness immediately jumped up, the top of her head still beneath Emily's shoulder. She tried to pat Emily's back to dislodge the blockage but was unsuccessful due to her height; at this point the commotion had attracted the attention of all the patrons. Morgan and JJ were the first ones to reach Emily. Within a matter of moments the offending article had been dislodged and properly disposed of.

"Oh, my dear. I do apologize." Ness began fretfully.

"My fault," Emily scratched out, "Too fast for my own good." Tears leaking from her eyes.

"Bad apple." JJ commented pointing like one would a bad child, at the apple core still lying on Ness' plate.

"Nah, just too much fruity goodness for our girl here." Morgan said clasping Emily's arm, nodding politely to the old lady, and escorting Em back to their table. Ness waved them goodbye as she moved off to finalize her bill.

"I think that's enough excitement for one day." Rossi exclaimed standing and moving to collect Emily's bag from the carpeted floor. They returned to their hotel, said their 'goodnights' and retired for the evening.

All that Emily might have uncovered from her night of thinking vanishing to the trauma of an apple slice lodged in her throat. The phantom piece still haunting her vocal chords long into the still night.

**How is everyone finding my fic? **

**I'd appreciate thoughts on my writing style, and the storyline if you're up to it.**

**Arc**


	5. Chapter 5

**So here as promised, the chapter with the UnSub, hope he's as UnSub-y as you've been imagining.**

**I realized that previous paragraphs haven't been as divided as I would have liked so I've got a new system, hope it works ok.**

**Disclaimer: Enjoy my usage of CM characters. I'm only borrowing I swear!**

Night and Day

Hotch was the last member of the team to get into bed. He had checked the girls' room first though, determined to keep them safe. As his body relaxed his mind kept replaying what would forevermore be referred to in his mind as the 'apple incident'. Seeing Emily's body shudder to expel the fruit, the small elderly woman attempting to help while being way too short, almost comically so, hearing Emily's explanation later, seeing her embarrassment at her clumsiness exposed. It all had him shaking with mirth, Aaron Hotchner was known for not having a sense of humor. But something about Emily Prentiss made him want to smile. Made him want to laugh, see the humorous things in life. He remembered hearing her chide Morgan about 'getting his groove thang back' after the Superbowl, the inflection she had given that word had stayed with him long after that night. Even though he had been married to Hayley at the time, that word had instilled in him an attraction to her. Now, being divorced, he was noticing more and more the funny, humorous aspects of Emily Prentiss. Who knew watching someone almost choke on a piece of apple could be so invigorating? Worry, relief, concern, humor, attraction, memory, all aspects of his personality he was used to, just not so quickly and in such a small space of time. Hotch was looking forward to more moments when Emily wasn't the ever-professional FBI agent but the comical, laughing woman he'd seen that night, and on the jet that morning harmlessly flirting with Morgan to cheer up JJ. He soon fell asleep dreaming of a smiling Emily teaching his son to laugh like her.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

Someone else had been at the restaurant that night, watching the group eat their dinner. Seeing the way the group crowded the blonde, entertained the blonde, pandered to the every whim of the blonde. How their brunette friend had almost choked to death at the hands of the defunct old woman. At least the group took care of their own, he would give them that, acknowledge their family, their connections. The girl he had at the moment was wrong. He'd felt a weirdness when he chose her. He should have learnt to trust himself by now. She was too young, too girly for his purposes. He should have known better. He'd have to get rid of her; the sad thing was she truly was trying. He could see that. She was almost perfect. Not like the others, she wanted to please him. They shared an affinity for the snow. He could see it in her eyes. Maybe, he could take her back if she promised to…WHAT? _If she promises not to tell? _His thoughts mocked him. But it was true; no girl like her would go against the wishes of her family to protect him, no promise like that would be valid. But she deserved better than to be put with the others. What to do, what to do, he pondered, while pacing around the trees on his property. I can't take her back, but she's too good to keep with the others, the failed ones. What was that she whispered last night before she passed out?

"_Please, just let me go. I'll find my way home."_

She'll find her way home? _Find _her way home? That was unlikely he thought. But still, that would give her a chance, if she was truly as good as she seemed. The forest and the snow might help her.

Yes. He decided. I will let her go.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

Blearily she opened her eyes, casting a dark stare at the locked door. Which was open.

She began the routine that had been outlined to her, the one he made her do, of getting ready. Making herself presentable, she paused.

The locked door was open.

She rushed toward it, and was out in the corridor before she could even think. She thundered down the stairs not even for one instant considering the fact it might be a test to evaluate her loyalty to him. She was out the front door and scampering across the ankle deep snow before she even realized that the weight on her left leg was gone. Looking down she noticed the raw and bleeding wound caused by the iron manacle he had placed on her three days ago was uncovered allowing the air and the snow access to it.

The manacle was missing.

He had taken it off and unlocked the door. It was too much to hope for, too much to believe. She prayed as she skipped and slid across the snow that this wasn't a dream. Her euphoria at escape blocking out all pain and feeling. But she didn't know where she was, it was hard to see with all the snow laying around. There were no landmarks, none that she could see at any rate. The dress he had given her wasn't conducive to being outside in this weather.

And it had begun to snow.

Crystal flakes were fluttering from the sky, piercing coldly against her face and skin. She began to hurry. She only had today to find a town, or a house, something. If night fell…she knew she wasn't going to make it.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

He watched as she sped across the front of his property, smiled to himself as she instinctively chose the right direction to travel in. He was right about her. She had an affinity. He liked that word. AFFINITY. It has naturalness to it, a similarity about it. It made him feel that there was a right woman out there for him. He just had to find her. There was the attraction element, then the similarity element. Once he found those two things all he had to do was to wait for the right moment, and then, only then could he be fulfilled. He was so close with her, he thought. Her tiny body barely visible on the edge of his vision. The snow building for a little while, it would taper off in an hour, giving the night a reprieve before it came again in a day or so for a beautiful, wonderful, brilliantly white wall of snow falling from the sky. He couldn't wait. The women who came to him were nowhere near as wonderful as the snow. Only one woman would be like the snow. That would be his last woman. The final one. He just had to hurry up and find her. He was frustrated at himself that it was taking him this long. But the women he could choose from only appeared during winter, during the snow. He knew this and understood it. Snow was his affinity. He needed to find a woman snow was attracted to. Then everything would work properly, the way life was supposed to. He wished that girl the best of luck. She would need it in this snow. If she deserved to live, which he thought she might, but then again, only the snow could truly decide.

**Reviews please? :) Or even criticisms...**

**Arc**


	6. Chapter 6

**Read, enjoy, review.**

**Disclaimer: Naturally, I didn't invent the tv show Criminal Minds, because if I did a lot of fanfic stories would be available for televisionary viewing.**

Returned Feelings.

_A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water._

_Carl Reiner  
_

Rossi stood by the station's window peering out into the street. The team was currently interviewing every possible witness going back to December 2006. It wasn't helpful really. Everyone knew that, but the family members, concerned neighbors and annoying busy-bodies kept coming. They dealt with them the best they could but the team was beginning to show signs of stress, except Emily. She never seemed to show stress at all in situations where non-team members were present, probably trained behavior from her Ambassador childhood. He looked back out into the street, the snow was still falling but thankfully it had slowed. Rossi really didn't want to be snowed in up here if they couldn't solve this case. There was nothing to go on, no evidence anywhere; these poor women just vanished from the face of the earth. Their bodies hadn't even turned up yet. If the UnSub was burying them, or keeping them, it would be up to him to reveal their locations unless someone stumbled across a body in the snow blanketed woods.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

Time dragged on, lunchtime came and went and still there seemed no sign of a breakthrough. Even Reid's brilliance was having no bearing on the case.

"Prentiss." Emily answered her phone.

"You have one hell of a gut feeling, my girl." Garcia started, "First off, no dice on your Claudia Hawkner. She's had no activity for the last three days, got her final transaction at a Patisserie, she bought an éclair."

"Oh, thanks I guess."

"Hey, sweetness. Don't get down; you have to wait for my piéce de résistance."

"Yeah?" she sighed into the phone. Everyone's eyes were on her, a call from Garcia usually meant a breakthrough, or at the very least new information.

"That Betty Sumner…"

"What about her?"

Garcia sneezed, "She's in for one hell of a fly-kick to the head, sumo wrestler's smack-down."

"Garcia," she warned, not in the mood for the long wind up. Emily wanted answers.

"I've got major money activity for this chickadee. She's on a shopping spree in Richmond."

"Have you got any proof it's actually her?"

"Oh, do I! Positive ID. Hacked into one of the mall's security cameras, she's fine." Garcia smiled at the speakerphone.

"Ugh, thanks Garcia." Emily didn't even give her a chance to respond.

"Well, your welcome…" Garcia replied to the dial tone before she sneezed.

"So, Betty Sumner is alive and well on a shopping spree in Richmond." Emily announced to the room.

Hotch looked back at her with an unreadable expression. "You're absolutely sure?"

"Positive photo ID." She replied.

Silence filled the room as Hotch decided what to do next, without any proof that the UnSub was active this year there was precious little they could legally do. But the whole team seemed to be on edge about this case, perhaps as a last ditch effort they could remain for the night and go back to Quantico in the morning. If they picked up and left right now Hotch was quite certain the town would hold a mini-riot.

"We'll keep working the case for the rest of the day. If nothing shows up, we leave tomorrow morning." With that said, he left to inform Sheriff Coulter and Mrs. Sumner of Betty's whereabouts.

Morgan and Reid paused from their reviews of statements to see if Emily was alright; her lack of spirit, the gloominess she exuded was depressing. Before they got a chance to inquire after her, JJ burst through the room rushing toward the restroom. She managed a rather spectacular aim at a wastebasket given her trajectory, but treated the entire station to an unpleasant auditory experience of morning sickness. Emily was the first on the scene. She pulled JJ's hair back, ran a soothing hand up and down her back while accepting Reid's tissue offering.

"I think we should get you back to the hotel room Jayje. All this tension can't be good for the baby." Emily was acknowledged by JJ's low moan, somewhat in the affirmative mostly in pain. "Come on. You can lie down, spread out and we'll bore that baby to sleep."

"K, we gotta ask Hotch." JJ slurred. The after effects of morning sickness, in the afternoon, depleting her energy reserves.

"Don't worry about Hotch. Morgan and Reid will tell him where we went." She sought their approval while saying this, Morgan and Reid both nodded emphatically. Reid helped JJ up, practically carried her on his shoulder to the SUV waiting in the car park and buckled her in. This was one of those times he was truly grateful he was a male. Seeing JJ sick was bad enough, to imagine going through it himself, for anywhere up to nine months seemed an awful sort of torture. Reid hated being sick.

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It took Hotch and Rossi forty-five minutes to calm down, re-explain and maintain their position when dealing with the over-compensating Sheriff. They understood his frustrations but with any new information 'The Snowman' case was stalled. There hadn't been a proven abduction since December 2006 or even a suspected one since January 2008. Eventually the Sheriff accepted their stance, but he was going to have some stern words with Miss Sumner when she got around to coming home. He couldn't tell which was worse the frightened Mrs. Sumner or the angry Mrs. Sumner. After a quick glance at the woman in question he decided angry Sumner was definitely the more unpleasant version.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

She wasn't sure how long she'd been half-running, half-stumbling across the countryside. It was early morning when she'd escaped the house; at least she guessed it to be early morning. The sun had been up but not very far, not in the middle of the sky anyway. She guessed it had been at least five hours; the sun was heading back toward the ground, to the horizon. The weather was making it difficult. A small storm-ish cascade of snow had fallen for most of her journey. Her footprints had been lost and she constantly prayed she was still going in the right direction. She cursed the woods, and the snow, and the lack of anything helpful. _Where was she?_ She asked the only constant in her day, confusion and snow. She'd never had such feelings toward snow before. She used to love this time of year. She hated snow now, the cold, the blankness, it ruined her eyes. She couldn't see properly. She normally couldn't see properly, at least that's what the doctors and her family told her. But this snow, and the lack of definition, it frightened her, badly, far worse than anything she had experienced before. She couldn't see, the snow, it was ruining her. The wind pushed a chunk of dark hair across her face; she swiped it away with a hand she couldn't feel. She reminded herself she had _brown_ hair, that's what everyone else saw. Not her though, not Claudia Hawkner. Claudia Elizabeth Hawkner only saw in grey scale. Black and white, monochrome. Stupid eyes she thought. Did he know she couldn't see properly? That sending her out into the snow was a death sentence? He probably did. Bastard.

**I would love, appreciate and be totally ecstatic to receive some reviews of any kind!**

**Arc**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here is the next chapter of my story.**

**Disclaimer: Obviously, since it's here in fanfic world, it does not belong to me.**

Waiting for Time.

He'd been waiting for her to come back for three hours now. He thought he'd have more time to prepare. Time to will himself to do this, he thought perhaps it would get easier with every attempt, it never did. Every new potential woman exhilarated him, seeing them for the first time, encroaching on their space. Whether it was their bedroom, their job or a surprise event that caught his attention, every time his spine tingled alerting him to that natural attraction he so desperately needed. He couldn't merely go out and pick up a random girl. She needed to attract him. There had to be a reason for her. He'd made so many mistakes before, picked the wrong kinds of girls. But he was learning, understanding what the snow had been trying to tell him all these years. It was so obvious to him now. Snow had tried on many occasions to point it out to him, but he was so excited about meeting the 'right' woman, he had missed the signs. The obviousness of it all. He looked up from his newspaper at the sound, and chill, of the hotel door opening. There she was, walking in with a wispy stream of fluttering snow behind her, but she wasn't alone, one of her companions was there too, looking sleepy. It fit. He gulped another portion of his hot chocolate, hummed along to the wintry song playing over the speakers in the hotel's lobby and went back to reading the newspaper. Fifteen minutes for them to settle in, and then he'd go up. He smiled.

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Augustus was the owner of the Hotel Camelot. The arrival of the FBI team gave his establishment another level of class he thought. He pottered around the check-in desk, smiling to himself, keeping an eye out for strangers on the prowl, serial killers lurking behind every door, mass murderers ready to pounce on his patrons. He was an old man prone to illusions of grandeur; he'd been a ladies' man in his day but lost out on his one true love to 'Albert', the stupid landscape gardener, ever since he'd been the lovable bachelor Augie, known to all the ladies. Augustus surveyed his lobby; the empty space filled with warm, homey furniture and a log fire burning. The young man sitting in Augie's favourite velveteen chair had been waiting for his fiancée to arrive for a couple of hours now. He admired the man's patience. He saw the man's contented smile, remembering his own attractions to women, that's when he noticed the two female members of the FBI team struggling to make their way to their room. He sped off quickly to assist them.

"Here let me."

"Oh, thank you sir." Agent Prentiss replied, "Agent Jareau seems to be feeling a little off." The strain of assisting the pregnant woman clearly etched onto her face, she looked tired Augustus noticed.

"Em, I'm fine really. I can walk on my own."

"No. You're not. You can barely move."

"My muscles ache." She stated quietly. Emily smirked, as soon as JJ was away from the guys she folded, as if having weakness in front of the men was against the law. But in front of Emily and Garcia well that was completely alright, then JJ played it up for all she was worth. With a little help from the owner of the hotel, JJ was soon lying comfortably on her bed, shoes off, blankets on and heater going steadily.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

Fifteen minutes passed. He folded up the newspaper, checked his watch one last time. Smiled at the old man at the counter, asked for directions to the toilet and walked down the hall toward _her_ room, very conveniently situated along the corridor to the restroom he was direction to. He paused outside her room, listening for sounds from within. No voices, water running. One of them was showering he concluded. But which one? If it was the one he wanted he could use her affection for the friend, if it was the other one even better, she'd come out and he'd be long gone with his prize. He jiggled the door open, having been a locksmith, after school hours as a student, was certainly coming in handy. He'd never have believed that ridiculed part-time job he'd had growing up would ever have amounted to such an integral part of his present life. He slipped quietly into the suite. There she was lying delicately on a bed, the blonde, asleep. _Perfect_. He reached down into her bag on the floor, took out her phone and gun and placed them on the cabinet near the door, far away from her reach. He unclasped her handcuffs and linked them through the bed-head's frame, he cuffed her. She remained asleep. He found the other bag, removed the gun, phone and handcuffs. He found her badge, with her picture in it and her name, her old name. She would never be called that name again; she would be called by her new name, her true name. He contemplated the best way to get her out of the shower, without surprising her too much. He decided for the easiest tamest tactic, he knocked on the bathroom's door and retreated to the bed, holding his army switchblade against the blonde's throat.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

Emily was relaxing in the heat of the shower. She absolutely loved warm showers, hot, scalding powerfully severe showers. She just loved extremes in temperature. She was just about to start shampooing her hair when there was a knock at the door.

"JJ?" she asked, "I thought you were asleep." When no one responded, Emily turned off the faucets, wrapped a towel around herself and opened the door.

"Oh my God!" She breathed. A man was in their room with a knife to JJ's throat! She almost completely closed the door in her surprise.

"I won't harm her." He whispered, "If you obey my instructions."

Emily scanned the room for her weapon; both guns were on top of a cabinet far across the other side of the room. She looked back to JJ, knowing she'd have to agree with his demands.

"Get dressed," he said, throwing a bundle of fabric at her. Emily bent down quickly and retrieved the clothes, she froze. She didn't want to get dressed in front of this man, but would he allow her to return to the bathroom? Seeing her hesitate she could only assume the man had realized the reason for her reticence.

"You can return to the bathroom, only for five minutes."

"I don't understand," she ventured "What do you want with me?" feeling a little proud for the steadiness of her voice.

"I'd been so misguided," he began, "my sleeping beauties were never so once they awoke, the others didn't work out. My last girl, she's running around the snow still I suspect. I thought she was my…I was mistaken. Get dressed."

Emily quickly shut the door and stripped out of the towel, she tried to dry herself as quickly as she could. Opening the bundle she unfurled an ivory dress, it seemed familiar. She didn't have much time, maybe two minutes before she had to get out of the bathroom. She needed to leave a message for the guys when they realized she was gone, but she couldn't think, she had no new information. Suddenly, inspiration hit and she knew. She knew what to say, what message to leave, but how? There was nothing to write with in here. She glanced around the bathroom, the mirror not reflecting anything because it was so fogged up. Fogged up, her mind prodded her. She quickly used her finger to scrawl a message across the glass hoping the guys wouldn't take too long in finding her missing. It was the only help she could give them.


	8. Chapter 8

**Here my next fanfic offering to the world of Criminal Minds :)**

**Disclaimer: the usual, not mine, don't sue, I have no money if you do.**

Delayed Reactions.

Tiredness was a feeling Jennifer Jareau was increasingly becoming used to, it wasn't even a normal 'I've been working too hard' kind of tiredness either. It was a tiredness born out of her body's need to conjure up an overabundance of hormones; all of them with the express desire of making her throw up every two seconds. Thankfully, at this present moment no such 'throwing up' needed to occur. She was relaxed and ever so grateful. Until she couldn't move her hands and she started to notice a dull ache around her elbows and shoulders. Her arms seemed anchored somehow, above her head. Immediately opening her eyes JJ was surprised to find the room dark, the only light coming from the electric glow of the heater Emily had turned on earlier. JJ scanned the area, guns and badges sitting on the far side of the room, handcuffs above her head attached to the frame of the bed and no Emily. JJ really didn't want to jump to conclusions but she had a pretty solid feeling Emily wasn't into this kind of kink, especially considering she had been asleep at the time and was pregnant to another man. She tried to see into the bathroom, had Emily passed out or something? It felt bad to hope for some kind of medical condition to have befallen one of her closest friends, but any other explanation was too awful to contemplate. In the dim heater light, JJ attempted to read her wristwatch, after much struggling and shuffling around on the bed; she eventually managed to make out the hands on the watch, 6:15. She'd been asleep for roughly four hours. She hoped one of the guys would check on her soon. If she had to yell out there was a distinct possibility she was going to throw up, from either the all-day morning sickness or Emily related anxiety.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

Morgan's calmness had been dissipating with alarming speed since Emily and JJ had gone back to the hotel. Garcia's gut feelings, Reid's nervousness and the weird business of the brunette girl missing instead of the blonde all adding up to an unusual amount of stress for him. It was 6:30pm and he hadn't done anything productive in over an hour. Neither had Hotch, or Rossi or Reid, no one in the entire BAU team had had any revelations or even paperwork to go over. Derek Morgan did not give up; it wasn't a word he liked to admit existed in any vocabulary let alone the dictionary. He really wanted to check in on the girls. After two attempts on both their phones, Morgan packed his stuff, grabbed Reid and headed to the hotel. Reid prattled on about the statistical data related to morning sickness and the hormonal effects it had on women's bodies for the entire car ride. For once, it didn't bother Morgan in the slightest, he'd laugh about it later he was sure, when he got to the hotel and JJ and Emily were fine.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

It wasn't in his nature to be silent when he was anxious, he knew most people just thought it was a facet of his genius, a quirk in his mentality that he couldn't seem to control, a need to convey knowledge. Reid knew differently and Emily Prentiss was the only one who seemed to understand it. She teased him when his fountain of knowledge seemed to outpour in social conversations. All the BAU team respected him and allowed for his lengthy expressions of terminology, but Emily knew how to help him control it, a simple joke or a quick smile could make him feel at ease. JJ had a knack for shutting him up too, but that was based more on the fact that a smile from her seemed to shortcut his brain. When JJ smiled his words fled him, she effectively stopped his diatribes but not by putting him at ease, no. JJ made him so nervous that sometimes he lost the ability to speak. He knew Morgan wasn't really listening to him, by now Derek would usually have tried to intervene or subvert the conversation to a more easily maintained subject. He was really worried about JJ and Emily. But then so was Reid. He could see the hotel coming up now, he predicted Morgan wouldn't park properly instead satisfying his need to make sure the girls were alright. When the dark SUV pulled to stop outside the front entrance Reid knew his predictions were correct. He quickly followed Morgan into the hotel and straight to the girls' room.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

JJ had spent the first fifteen minutes of consciousness struggling to maintain her composure. She'd tried calling out, but her voice was raspy from sleep and worry and nerves. Every time she raised her voice at all for help she would shudder from the instant need to hurl. It was disconcerting and nauseating, and for the first time in her pregnancy she truly hated that she was pregnant.

"Sorry, not really. Well not you baby just being pregnant." She whispered to her abdomen. JJ groaned in immense displeasure. She didn't know what to do, she was out of options. Chained to a bed, in a random hotel in Alleghany County, Virginia, a missing FBI Agent and no way to communicate with her team… and she was also pregnant. Her situation was looking less appealing by the second. Then Emily's phone rang, and rang, and rang until it cut out, she must not have switched it over to take messages. JJ started to struggle a little more against the handcuffs. She tried to use her body to wobble and maneuver the bed closer to the cabinet where the phones were, it wasn't working. Even if she could make it to the cabinet she would still need to move the cabinet, somehow get the phone to land on the bed and then she would need to use her feet to get the phone to her face or hands so she could call someone or at least pick up if they phoned again. It wasn't going to happen, rationally JJ knew that but she had to keep trying. This was not happening to her again. Her phone began to ring, and with every successive shrill JJ's composure slipped, soon she was sobbing, hiccupping. Her brain reminded her that if she continued to cry in such a way she would soon be throwing up as well, but that knowledge did nothing to help her condition. Thankfully, she wasn't bawling, she was, as much as possible given her situation, crying as sedately as she could. Except, her baby wasn't handling a weeping woman as well as she was, with no where to go, no bucket or bin handy JJ, rather disgustingly she felt, proceeded to throw up.

**Is everyone sufficiently worried??**

**Let me know, I'd really appreciate it, and hugs 'n' sherbet to those who review!!**

**Arc**


	9. Chapter 9

**Everyone put JJ related fears to rest.**

**Disclaimer: yada yada, you all know the drill by now.**

Long Time Waiting.

Morgan and Reid didn't have time to worry about pleasantries towards the owner of the hotel, they walked briskly to the girls' room determined not to draw to much attention to themselves, they both heard JJ's cries from outside the door and Morgan had simply barged straight in. The sight he found was disturbing in its simplicity. The room had been methodically organized, nothing was out of place save for the odd, yet uniform placement of a gun, two badges and two phones. JJ was handcuffed to the bed but done so with a thoughtfulness to her condition. Reid quickly rushed to JJ, unlocking the cuffs and helping her to sit up carefully. He gave no thought to the remains of her previously digested food his only intention making sure she was ok.

Carefully rubbing her grazed and slightly reddening wrists, JJ leant into Reid's side shivering with panic.

"Reid, Morgan. I don't know what happened."

Reid stared at her attentively watching her every movement, cataloging her behavior, making certain that she was okay, at least physically.

"Emily hopped in the shower, and I must have fallen asleep. She tucked me in before…"she trailed off, tears still escaping. JJ felt no shame in showing her emotions in front of Derek and Spencer. Emily was missing and it was all her fault.

"JJ do you remember anything?" Derek asked.

"No," she cried, "I fell asleep, and then I woke up and Emily wasn't here and I was tied to the bed." She abruptly stood up and started to fix the bed pulling off everything; pillows, sheets, coverings, blankets.

"Whoa, whoa there girl. We might need those." Morgan intervened. "Whoever took Emily, if that's what happened, may have left some trace behind."

"Oh right, of course. Sorry." She winced. "I just can't seem to stop smelling…I needed to throw up and there was nowhere…I mean I couldn't."

"Hey JJ. It's ok. We understand." Reid said, trying to gently guide her away from the bed.

While Reid concerned himself with JJ, Morgan had a quick look around the bathroom for more evidence. There was nothing to be found, except the pile of clothes Emily had been wearing that day. _She didn't leave here naked, did she?_ Not being able to find anything conclusive he rang Hotch, they needed everyone on this as quickly as possible.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

Rossi was desperate to return to the hotel, to see the room and JJ for himself. He knew that it wouldn't be productive though; Emily would be better off if he and Hotch remained at the station and waited for news from there. There would be nothing he could do at the hotel. He just had to keep reminding himself of that. He was serving a better purpose _here_ at the station. He was helping Emily _more_ by staying right here. As soon as they had heard from Morgan, Hotch had immediately called Garcia knowing that if anyone could get some data on the whereabouts of Agent Prentiss it would be her. Rossi just hoped that the hotel they were staying with had some sort of security surveillance. _It didn't_.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

Reid had done some precursory analysis of the room. Morgan had been right in his assessment, there were no viable trace elements left anywhere. Except for what JJ had done to the bed, the UnSub who had supposedly taken Emily hadn't left anything behind. Not even a smudgy print. JJ had been so nauseous from her ordeal, but so unwilling to leave the room that she had badgered and annoyed Morgan into allowing her to use the bathroom, she only meant to use the facilities once, and quickly. But she'd surprised him by asking if she could use the shower, it wasn't like any evidence they had uncovered from the shower cubicle would be useful. The UnSub had clearly wanted to get Emily away from the team and the hotel. JJ had corrected him though, she felt uncomfortable being in the room and could she use his bathroom instead.

That's how he, Spencer Reid, had ended up sitting just outside the room where Jennifer Jareau was currently having a shower with the door slightly ajar. He'd accidentally closed the door on her to give her some privacy, she had completely freaked out. She had shyly asked him to guard the room but to keep the door open. She had talked for a little while, but then had asked him to talk to her, so that she knew he was still there. If Reid had been in the mood to question her motives more, to analyze her behavior, he would have had to acknowledge that she seemed to be suffering from a type of survivor's guilt and abandonment issues. But he really wasn't in the mood to question her behavior, he was just glad she was ok. Emily would be too. He hoped.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

Garcia frantically searched the information highways, byways, back-ways, back-lanes, backdoors, side-doors and kitty-flaps for a speck of evidence relating to Emily within the last six hours. She cursed the area her BAU team were in, it looked beautiful and all but they really didn't seem to rely that heavily on the security systems she loved about big cities. It was so much easier on her if she could access a number of sites and choose the best angles, the best systems and the clearest pictures to display for her team. At this rate she'd be lucky to find any pictorial evidence that Emily Prentiss had been in Alleghany County, let alone abducted from there. Finally, something had popped up into one of her screens. It was an out-dated security system that processed a car dealership about thirty meters south of the hotel. Thankfully the street the hotel was on was that same street as two of the cameras. She 'politely' hacked into the system, grabbed the footage she needed and took an extra three hours either side in case the UnSub had 'cased out the joint' beforehand. That was something she'd picked up from her time being the BAU's Number One 'tech support'. Garcia sighed, she was so much more valuable to this team than a mere technical analyst would ever be, she was thankful that every single member of the team knew it too.

**I hope everyone doesn't hate me too much for doing this to the team, but where's the fun if no one gets hurt or abducted, or taken hostage?**

**Arc**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I own everything. Obviously.**

The Act of Lingering.

It makes no sense, Hotch thought, as he sat stoically at one of the station's desks, one that he had commandeered since hearing of Emily's abduction. The UnSub's type is blonde, blue eyed. The only thing that Emily matched about the typology was height. It just flat out made no logical sense. He gazed intensely at their 'UnSub' wall profile. Victims' photographs, scene measurements and year-old ecological reports on the only two dump sites they had knowledge of, a map JJ had made of Alleghany County citing places of abduction; home, work and other. He knew to make the diagram complete he should add another pin representing Emily; he couldn't bring himself to do it. So he chose instead to remove the pin representing Betty Sumner. The girl who'd gone to Richmond for a shopping spree. He was still holding the pin as he began to turn the facts over in his mind. There was something missing from their profile, something incredibly important. Hotch had a flashback to last night, dinner at the restaurant. He'd known even then that Emily was having one of her special brand of UnSub intuition, but she hadn't had a breakthrough with that. Perhaps she was jolted out of her reverie by the 'apple incident'. It wasn't as funny now. Hotch could feel his resolve slipping. He desperately wanted to run his hands over his face and slip his fingers into his hair so he could at least try to relieve a little tension. But that kind of behavior, showing any sort of frustration, would only add to the pressures already felt by this town. The local police seeing the leader of the specialist FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit losing his composure would not help anything or anyone. He steeled his body, sharpened his gaze and focused on his breathing. Garcia had better find something soon. If anyone could pull a rabbit out of a hat at a time like this it would be Penelope.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

Rossi had been the closest to the phone so he got received the honor of picking up. Garcia had found some information on Emily. There was a problem though and she wasn't willing to have it gone over multiple times; her voice sounded odd, disappointed. Garcia demanded that the whole team be together for when she sent the in data and explained. Rossi decided the best course of action was to simply agree. He knew how difficult it was to get Garcia to do something she didn't want to, besides Garcia was back at Quantico and if she didn't want to send the information to them, they sure as hell weren't going to be able to find it themselves. Immediately Hotch had risen, following Rossi without question. They hopped into the car, arrived at the hotel within twenty minutes and were setting up the laptop to connect with Garcia in Hotch's suite when within seconds it seemed the entire BAU team minus Emily had surrounded the laptop like a DEA bust on two drug smugglers cutting forty kilos of heroin.

"So…" Garcia began, flicking a brightly colored rubber band between her fingers, "That place you guys are at, hacker's nightmare."

"We're in Alleghany County, not Columbia." Morgan answered with a pained grin. Pained because of the situation. Grin because of Garcia.

"Look, I've done my best and considering what I've found. I should resign."

"What? Garcia," JJ interrupted.

"No, look. It's my job to bring you guys the best information, the clearest pictures. I'm your 411 on all things digital. I get you guys to places it would take red tape years to even acknowledge. But this…I feel useless. Emily's missing and all I can offer is some piddly four-frame image thirty meters south of the border!"

She looked stressed out.

"Hey baby girl. Whatever you've got for us is going to help us. If this is all you've found, then imagine where we would be without you. Ok?"

"They're not in Mexico are they?" Reid inquired. Garcia smiled a little bit, sneezed and then continued.

"No, the only place within a hundred meter radius of the hotel that had any sort of system I could get into was a car dealership. Old school. It didn't even have a running stream of code; it takes like one photo every twenty or thirty seconds. Luckily, someone had integrated the ancient analogue channel with a pretty…sophisticated is too strong a word; I'd say an above average central processing unit. It was actually pretty ingenious, they'd taken the micro-processor chip and converted the-"

"Whoa, Garcia focus." Morgan jumped in effectively stopping her rant of computer tech-talk.

"I managed to find two cameras that were pointing in the right direction. So I have four viable photos, I'm still looking to see if the UnSub approached from the same angle earlier in the day but I'm not hopeful. As you can or I should say will see, the texture of the photo is not very helpful. It's the best I could do; I'm currently running them all through a pixilation program. I'm hoping it'll clear up the focus. I knew you would all want to see what I've got before then though. These photos, I wouldn't give them out to the press or as handouts for identifying the UnSub or anything, but they should give you at least an idea of what happened once he got Emily out into the street." With that last remark, the laptop screen changed, they were no longer looking at Garcia but at a snowy street with an uninterrupted and angled line of sight to the front door of the hotel. There were a couple of cars parked, one or two in motion, but quite clearly if a little obscurely was Emily Prentiss in a summery white dress leading a man out of the hotel, looking very much like a lovely but freezing couple. The second photograph portrayed a similar scenario; the man courteously opening one of the parked car's doors and assisting Emily into it.

"Those two were from the first camera," Garcia's voice said through the laptop. "This second camera shows a slightly different situation."

The third photograph depicted a similar version of the first, only this time there was a couple of degrees difference in camera angle. The team could clearly see the gun pressed between the couples' bodies, the hand holding Emily's arm tightly. The last and final photo, was taken immediately before the UnSub closed the car door on Emily. In it they could see the dull smudge encircling her arm attaching her to the hand rest on the car door. She had been handcuffed to the car. Even if she somehow managed to incapacitate the UnSub, if he didn't have the keys she'd never get out of the car.

**Poor, poor Emily. Everyone should be handcuffed to a car by an UnSub at least once in their life, wouldn't you agree?**

**Arc**


	11. Chapter 11

Silent like the Night.

_Silently, like thoughts that come and go, the snowflakes fall, each one a gem._

_William Hamilton Gibson_

Claudia Hawkner was definitely, completely and without regard to her psychological state – having a mental breakdown! The darkness had descended, filling the blinding sky with night. Just as bad. Black or white it didn't matter, too much of either color was dangerous for a monochrome. Her stupid eyes didn't have the ability to distinguish much in complete black and white. She relied on the differentiations in the greyscale to determine where she was, how high an object was, whether the ground was flat or bumpy, if she was walking up a hill or down it. Her mother used to make her walk around for ages with her eyes closed so that she could use her other senses to compensate for her type of legal 'blindness'. Usually, in winter, she used her sense of temperature to calculate how high the snow was in the dark, or if the sky had been painted white by the clouds. But it wasn't working today; her hands, her face, her feet, her legs, her eyebrows, her hair, everything and anything related to her and her body were frozen. She could vaguely make out her limbs moving so she knew she wasn't dead yet. But she couldn't _feel_ anything, and that was more scary to her than the ability to see or not. Even a truly blind person could survive in the wilderness, not well, but still…survive. Something moved in the darkness, a white blurry spot. It was flashing a little, were there trees nearby? The crunching of the snow changed in tone, it wasn't so thick anymore. It was gravellier. She bent down quickly, her hand stretched out before her, hitting the ground hard.

Claudia simply could not feel anything, had she been able to see in color it would have been apparent that her hands, feet and lips were turning blue.

She bent closer to the ground, trying to figure out in the darkness why the snow had sounded different. She clutched at a handful of the ground; she pulled away frozen mud, small stones and scraped her knuckles against asphalt.

_I'm on a road. I found a road! _

She almost cried, just as she began to stagger to her feet a small dark Mini Cooper turned a bend and came directly at her. Its lights flashing in the night. The driver of the Mini was suitably shocked, turned the wheel wildly and braked immediately. Claudia was frozen in shock, her last thought something along the lines of _I escape a madman only to die by car?_

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

Garcia glanced around her office, surveying the massive computer system she had created slowing down its processing, the pitchy whirr gradually tapering off. She never actually turned the computer off; she merely put it to sleep so that the other projects she worked on could keep running their programming. Since Reid had been kidnapped by Henkel all those many months ago, she, like the other members of the BAU's number one team, kept a ready-bag at the office. She had been surprised when Hotch had rung demanding that she come to the maniac's house to dismantle and understand Henkel's system. The team hadn't said she should go up to Alleghany County; in fact, Hotch seemed to vaguely suggest she shouldn't. But Penelope Garcia had never been one to follow vague suggestions, and it was always better she had learned, to apologise than to ask permission. She lugged her portable suitcase, which substituted as her ready-bag, out of its hidey-hole and dragged it up the corridors of Quantico. She programmed her MP3 player to play through her car's radio and started the drive-out to help her team get Emily back.

The team knowing that any work concerning Emily's abduction couldn't be started until the next morning had retired to their rooms for the night. None of them slept. If they did, it wasn't well or for long.

Reid's mind worked over-time, pouring through every memory of the case, collating and organizing the pages of his eidetic memory for similarities, differences, coincidences, anything that could be helpful, hopeful or handy. It was three in the morning when he gave up, at least when he consciously gave up, his subconscious was not going to let this one go for as long as Emily was away. Perhaps even after she came back his brain would be struggling with this incident, for a very long time to come…if she came back.

Morgan didn't sleep either. He was angry with himself. Everyone had just assumed that the UnSub had taken a fancy to blonde haired, blue-eyed women for a reason, they hadn't given any thought to what that reason might be, just that it was. He cursed the way that once there was an established typology, all other thought of reasons for it went out the window. He knew if they ever figured out this UnSub's reasons for changing typology, it was going to be very enlightening for future profiles. Every Behavioral Analyst would be very careful when coming up with victimology from now on. He reminded himself that the type of victim is only a precursor to understanding the UnSub's mindset; it is not a definitive statement.

Rossi did sleep. He also dreamed. Violent bloody nightmares where the UnSub brutally tortured and violated Emily as punishment for being a brunette. In his nightmare, the UnSub had come for JJ but upon realising she was pregnant had gone into a violent rage; Emily had come out of the bathroom and confronted him. He had threatened JJ's safety, so Emily had done her all to protect her fellow team member. He had taken Emily instead, as a payment for JJ's deception. At some point Rossi had realised he was dreaming, but he couldn't stop the nightmare from continuing. He was a bystander in his own dream, he couldn't affect anything, he couldn't stop anything and even when the UnSub had had a psychotic break and killed Emily viciously the nightmare continued. He had to watch as his subconscious played out his deepest fears; the team finally arriving at the scene to save Emily, only to see her mutilated body spread out for their viewing. Rossi desperately wanted to wake up, he screamed in his nightmare, he cursed and railed against the suffocating terror. But he didn't wake up.

**Hope you all _enjoyed_ (?) this installment.**

**Arc**


	12. Chapter 12

**Ok, so my reviewers seemed very worried about Claudia and the car...so here's my answer ;)**

**Disclaimer: the usual, not mine (sob).**

Musings and Nightlife.

Hotch never slept when one of his team members was in danger. He was troubled when he realised that having a team member in danger was actually a common experience for him. What was it about this job that made them targets for serial killers and their fellow disturbed individuals? He supposed it was a case of higher risk due to a larger saturation of experience. The team's job was to get close to these people, these criminals; it was an unfortunate hazard of their work that that meant they were also in contact with a higher number of these people than the rest of the population. He tried not to think of Emily. His sympathetic side was disappointed in him for allowing 'detached agent' Hotchner to prevail but if he thought about Emily at all, given her situation, he was sure 'passionate male' Hotchner would come out and _he_ wasn't going to be helpful at all. Not yet anyway, he would save that side of his psyche for when they found the UnSub or Emily, whichever came first. He spent the entire night separating the 'passionate' Hotchner from the 'detached' Hotchner, he didn't want to get sidetracked from finding Emily because he was too busy contemplating Emily.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

JJ wasn't sleeping for many reasons. The main one being that she had returned to her room, the one she and Emily were sharing. The one Emily had disappeared from and the one she had been tied up in, handcuffed up in? What was the right terminology for that? JJ spent a good fifteen minutes trying to figure that one out. Eventually, she had decided to do an inventory of what was in the room. That took her about two hours, mainly because every time she came across something that reminded her of Emily she had to choke back another sob. This was the second time a fellow agent had been abducted because of her. First Reid, now Emily. Emily's abduction cut her more deeply though, at least with Reid it had happened because they'd been stupid enough to split up. She berated herself, how could she have slept through an abduction? What kind of FBI agent did that make her? She was _asleep_ when the UnSub handcuffed her to the bed. She hoped that when they got Emily back she could forgive her. JJ rubbed a shaking hand over her belly, _I promise baby, you'll get to meet Em one day. I promise._

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

Garcia knew which hotel was the right one the second she saw it. Unexpectedly, the drive from Quantico had allowed her to come up from the south, so she had travelled the exact route the security cameras had captured the evening before. Garcia hadn't even recognised the car dealership when she went past, but she definitely recognised the hotel. The coloring and the doors, the sidewalk, the snow, all of it mocking Emily's abduction, making everything seem nice and fun when in reality it was dangerous and scary. How could this have happened? She parked the car and entered the lobby of the Hotel Camelot. She had already slyly figured out which rooms her team were staying in, she just had to pick which room JJ would be staying in. That was the hard part, pick the wrong room and Hotch or Rossi would know she was here before she wanted them to. Maybe she should just wait in the lobby. Garcia was a pretty straightforward woman, but Hotch on a bad day, with Emily missing; well she really didn't want to be the catalyst that blew that party up. She plopped herself down in a comfy looking velveteen chair, started up one of her laptops and began to check red light cameras, ATM cameras and any other systems she could hack into for information on Emily. It was a while 'til breakfast.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

Mattie Bleekford was a wildlife photographer visiting the area to catch some interesting pics of the winter wonderland that was Virginia. He'd been doing a night watch of one particularly beautiful woodsy area about fifty miles north of where the BAU team at this very moment were attempting to sleep. He was also the owner and driver of a dark blue Mini Cooper, a child-hood dream car. He was also half-congratulating himself and half-being in extreme terror. He had narrowly missed hitting a teenage girl in the middle of snowy nowhere. After ramming the front of his tiny car into a snow bump on the side of the road, he had jumped out of said car to check on the girl. She had been stunned or in shock or something, she had also been freezing to the touch. He remembered how light she felt when he had quickly picked her up, bundled her into his car and drove as fast as possible to the nearest hospital. He recounted to the nurse at that hospital how he had turned the air conditioning unit up to full heat, used his snow-jacket to wrap around her frozen body, and prayed to God that she would be all right. At some point on their drive, she had passed out. And no, he didn't know who she was. The nurse had at some time decided since he found he was at least in some way a friend to her. She told him that the girl had some strange wounds around her left leg, hadn't eaten in a few days and was probably hypothermic. They were treating her right now. Mattie had asked if there were any missing person's reports that might help them figure out who she was. No runaway, no matter how desperate, would be outside at a time of year like this dressed in nothing more than a pale summer dress with no shoes, or even a jumper. The flustered nurse grabbed the nearest phone to do just that.

"Hello?" The previously asleep person answered her phone call.

"Um, Mrs. Hawkner?" The nurse, Sadie, inquired.

"Yes?" Mrs. Hawkner was wide-awake. That very nice FBI Agent Prentiss had told her that if the Police wouldn't file a missing person's report for her daughter that she should at least tell the hospitals herself. Mrs. Hawkner had done that very thing to all the hospitals in the area. If this was a hospital calling maybe they knew what had happened to her Claudia.

"You came in yesterday, with a picture of your missing daughter?"

"Yes, yes I did."

"Do you think, you could come down to St. Agnes', there's a girl here who matches your daughter's description."

"Yes, definitely. I'll be there in half an hour." Mrs. Hawkner went to hang up the phone so she could get ready immediately.

"Mrs. Hawkner, please come prepared. It may not be your daughter. The girl in question hasn't woken up yet. But she does look very much like the photo you gave us." Sadie was worried, she certainly didn't want to get this woman's hopes up to only have them crushed.

"Oh, yes. I completely understand but any news will get me closer to finding my daughter." Mrs. Hawkner hurried. _Please oh please let this be my beautiful girl._

**Nb/ The show hasn't really dealt with JJ's guilt over Reid being taken by Henkel. Well, at least in my opinion they haven't, so I'm doing it here.**

**Arc**


	13. Chapter 13

**Please enjoy and etc.**

Pictures of Morning.

JJ had woken up on the floor surrounded by Emily's clothes. She had never admitted it before but Emily had been a source of comfort to her since the Henkel debacle. JJ didn't understand all the 'compartmentalizing' business but she was grateful that Emily seemed to be able to do it. Being around such a stable person set her at ease, being around a stable _woman_ set her ease, especially on the more horrific cases, JJ supposed that was why after sorting through all her clothing she must have fallen asleep surrounded by the very things that encased Emily. Her side hurt a little from the hardness of the floor, but to have been able to sleep at all was a good thing. JJ hoped the guys had caught some z's too. The very last thing they needed on a case like this was tired FBI agents. _Oh no,_ she realized, _I've just thought about Emily as a case!_

"Emily is not a case." She stated, "Emily is my friend, and fellow Agent, and there is no way in hell she's becoming a statistic."

JJ decided to grab some chocolate from the lobby; she needed something else to remind her of Emily. On some level, JJ was attempting to compensate for the loss of Emily by acting more like her. Since her pregnancy, JJ had rarely joined Emily on her mid-nightly chocolate journeys, but she was going to go and get some chocolate ready for when Emily returned.

The pixilation program had finally finished rendering the four photographs; Garcia had focused the parameters on the UnSub's face. While she had been waiting, she calculated his height and mass by correlating Emily's dimensions. The UnSub was only a couple of inches taller than Emily, and a lot of muscular pounds heavier. Just as she finished downloading the photographs from her Quantico computer JJ appeared in the lobby.

"Garcia?"

"My little buttercup!" Moving her laptop to the side, she quickly engulfed JJ in a powerful hug. "Let's go back to your room."

JJ immediately complied. She lead the way quickly, ecstatic to have the only other female on the team with them. As soon as they entered the hotel room, JJ began to cry. Garcia hugged her again and led her gently to the bed.

"Jayje, hey it's ok. Emily is absolutely, without a doubt, the most strongest person I know. And I know a lot of strong people. She's stronger than Morgan, for sure."

"It's all my fault." Punctuating her statement with another round of violent sobs.

"It is not!" Garcia replied indignantly, "It's the UnSub's fault. He's the loony that stole her."

"I was asleep Garcia. I was asleep while he stole her."

"Do you think if you were awake it would have been any different? None of the guys were here. If anything, you'd probably be dead. We were lucky you were asleep."

JJ knew Garcia was only trying to put her at ease, to make her feel better about being the one to lose Emily. But she knew the truth; Emily was gone because she had been stupid enough to fall asleep when she should have been watching out for her teammate. The team was always hyper-vigilant when one of them fit the profile. They all knew what could happen if an UnSub got too close. Elle had been shot and almost died, Reid had been torture and almost died, Morgan had had the secrets of his past to come back to haunt him professionally and now this. Now Emily was going to pay the price for her stupidity. Now Emily was going to become some frozen victim in some god-forsaken snowy wasteland surrounding this place.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

She was running and stumbling and hurrying across the sightless ground. Everything was black. Sheer terror followed her. He was following her. He hadn't let her go. He was hunting her. She tried to go faster. Tripping in the frozen slush, her knees hit the pavement as she fell. She rose unsteadily, pain emanating from her kneecaps, looking down she saw dark warm liquid oozing from her lower body. Had she been hit by a car? Suddenly she saw the brightness coming straight for her. She screamed. Opening her eyes again the light was still blinding her. But the coldness was gone. Someone was holding her hand, stroking the skin on the back of her palm.

"Shh, it's alright honey. Everything's going to be ok." It was a woman's voice. It sounded like- It sound like her mother.

"Mom?" Her voice croaked.

"Yes," an answering sob, "Claudia, it's Mom. We found you. You're going to be ok."

Her entire body relaxed. Her Mom had found her, she was warm, everything was going to be ok.

Sadie, the nurse, and Mattie, the wildlife photographer, watched mother and daughter reunite. The girl had woken up screaming, a nightmare. Medically though, there was no imminent danger, and the hypothermia had been quickly dealt with. She would need to stay in hospital for a couple of days for observation but overall, there was no lasting damage and the ankle wound was bandaged and prospects seemed good.

"Should we tell the Police?" Mattie asked.

"Why? Do you think this has something to do with The Snowman?" Sadie replied.

"She's obviously been held by someone. She has that wound on her leg. It looked like an animal trap."

"That's not an animal trap wound, I've seen plenty of those." Sadie didn't want to bother the Police when something like The Snowman was going on.

"We should tell them." Mattie was sure this was something important.

"How about we wait until she wakes up, hear it straight from her. Then we'll decide."

"Ok, yeah that's probably a good idea." Mattie thought that a Nurse would have a better understanding of these things than him, a mere photographer. So instead he entered the hospital room. "Mrs. Hawkner?"

"Yes?" the older lady answered.

"My name's Mattie Bleekford. I'm the one who found your daughter."

"Oh my dear boy," she said as she rose, giving him a motherly hug. "I can't thank you enough. She's been missing for four days!"

"The nurse and I were thinking we want to wait, until she wakes up again, before calling the police. They can't do anything helpful unless they have her statement, and she needs to be awake to give that."

"The Police." Mrs. Hawkner stated with disdain, "I don't know how much help they'll be. Just because she isn't blonde. They weren't even going to look for her."

"I'm sure that's not the case Mrs. Hawkner." Mattie had never been involved with the Police before so he still had an idealistic view of the Justice system, the older woman had probably just misunderstood them.

"When she wakes up, we'll call this number." She handed him a business card. Supervisory Special Agent Prentiss it said. FBI. Impressive he thought. He hoped that this FBI guy would know what to do.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

Garcia was worried. JJ had yet to stop crying. She wasn't making any sounds, but the tears kept coming. She couldn't seem to stop them.

"Hon, why don't you have a shower? To get ready. I'm sure we're going to have a big meeting today. Go over all the evidence and stuff." She truly did want JJ to be ready for the day, but mainly she wanted to get her out of the way so she could go find Morgan. She needed to show the guys the picture of the UnSub. JJ agreed readily, there was no need for the rest of the team to see her disintegrate like this, they needed their Media Liaison to liaise with the Media, and a blubbering ridiculous mess wouldn't help.


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry this posting has taken awhile.**

**I got a new job, it's been hectic. But I survived.**

Messages past Moonlight.

Morgan and Reid had gotten dressed hours ago. They had been sitting quietly on their respective beds, patiently or not so patiently waiting for the time to reach an appropriate hour so that they could vacate their rooms and visit the other team members. So when Garcia opened the door and walked in nonchalantly, it would have been an understatement to say that they were surprised.

"Garcia? What are you doing here?" Reid stood up quickly, for a moment, he had forgotten that he actually was dressed and not in his blue bunny pyjamas, the pair his mother had sent him for Christmas. The ones that were an exact replica of pyjamas he owned when he was seven.

"You didn't seriously think I was going to stay in Quantico while Emily was at the mercy of some maniac? Did you?" The look plastered on Garcia's face bordered on thunderous. It reminded Spencer of a picture he'd once seen of the Greek god Zeus throwing down glowing thunderbolts on the little humans he had created for his sport and entertainment. Reid didn't answer.

"Baby girl?" Morgan was still sitting on his bed, although he had expected her to show up at some point during the day he hadn't been expecting a Garcia-arrival until a couple of hours later. He was going to, subtly, plant the idea in Hotch's head first, so that when she did arrive Hotch wouldn't blow a gasket. Now he only hoped the man would be more worried about Prentiss to lay into his tech-queen. It wouldn't be wise to be angry with her at this juncture. Garcia wouldn't take kindly to any man or person, no matter how much they were her superior, taking issue with an expression of concern for a member of her family. Especially if that family member happened to be Emily Prentiss.

"I've been in with JJ for a while. I drove up after we finished our meeting."

"The one we had last night?" Morgan asked. Garcia nodded. "Aren't you tired?"

"I won't sleep. Not until we get Emily back."

"We know. We've been trying to sleep, it just isn't working." Morgan rubbed a hand over the back of his head. He was frustrated, without any evidence or leads, there was nothing to do. He hated not having some kind of control over any kind of situation.

"Has the pixilation program you were running come across any more information." Reid inquired, he could keep his emotions under control if his mind had complex equations to work out or new information to analyse. There was only so many times he could analyse The Once and Future King before he started to associate his team members with the characters within.

"Yes. I think I've got a pretty good picture of the UnSub. It's already running through the national databases and the local ones for corresponding facial features."

"How about driver's licenses?" Morgan asked.

"Yep, those too." Silence filled the room again. "JJ's showering. I should get back, I don't want her to come out and think I've been taken too."

"Is she handling this ok?"

"I don't think she should be alone." Garcia answered slowly. She didn't want to make out that JJ couldn't take care of herself, but she'd never seen JJ cry quite like that.

"I'll come with you to wait for her to finish up. It'll at least make me feel like I'm doing something helpful. You know, keeping you company." Morgan said as he rose and gathered his belongings.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

Before retiring to his room the night before, Hotch had taken Emily's phone. He had checked her last calls but they were all verified as received and none of them were made after two pm. Hotch kept it with him all night, lying just two inches to the left of his own phone. He would not let it out of his sight until they got Emily back. He would give her back her phone and everything would be normal again. Except it wouldn't, not now. His feelings toward her were already irrecoverably changed. Aaron Hotchner cared about Emily Prentiss in a completely non-work related manner. _When exactly had that happened?_ He wondered. But that couldn't be helped right now and he knew he wasn't going to burden her with his emotional stuntedness until he was absolutely sure she had recovered from her abduction. He wasn't going to make the same mistakes he had made with Elle and Reid. He'd be by her bedside every night of the week until he was completely certain she was fully recuperated. Hotch sighed, he would never forgive himself if they didn't find her. He was fully cognizant of the fact that if they didn't find Emily, the BAU's number one team would disintegrate faster than you could blink. Emily held the team together, and again Hotch wondered, _when exactly had that happened?_

Emily's phone began to ring. Hotch answered.

"Um. Hi?" A nervous male responded, "Is this Agent Prentiss?"

"No, this is her supervisor. Agent Hotchner. May I help you?"

"Agent Prentiss gave her card to a lady about her daughter, and she's in the hospital now and I was supposed to ring you when she woke up."

"I'm sorry. I don't understand you." Hotch replied. _How was anyone supposed to understand that garbled message?_

"Oh sorry. Um, Agent Prentiss gave her card-"

"Yes. I understood that part." Hotch didn't have time for convoluted phone conversations.

"Right well, I found this missing girl, yesterday. She's in bad shape at St. Agnes' Hospital. But she woke up this morning. Her mother, Mrs. Hawkner, spoke to Agent Prentiss about her, um, about her being missing that is and…the girl, she's saying she was abducted."

"Is she blonde?" Hotch asked.

"No. She's a…she's got brown hair. Why, is that important?"

"What was your name, sir?"

"Ah, Mattie Bleekford. Mrs. Hawkner asked me to call you because she said Agent Prentiss would want to know." Mattie was becoming more and more confused as this conversation went on. Where was Agent Prentiss and why was this man being so blunt, and grumpy?

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

JJ was just finishing her shower when she heard the door open again. She recognised Morgan's voice chatting with Garcia through the bathroom door. They were having some inane conversation about this candy being better than some other candy. JJ didn't really care; it was nice to have familiar voices in the room. She turned off the faucets and carefully stepped out of the shower. The fan still whirring pulling tiny bits of steam up into the roof and that's when she saw it. The mirror had a word scrawled across it. It was kind of masked by the fogginess, but it was clearly a word in Emily's handwriting. She swung one of the towels around her body and leapt out of the bathroom.

"Guys, you have to see this!" She screeched at Garcia and Morgan.

They both rose hurriedly, crowding the doorframe and peering into the small bathroom. There upon the mirror, a word. A message that could have only been left by Emily, or the UnSub but that was unlikely. The message, the only help given by their missing profiler._ Fairytales_. It had to mean something important for Emily to use her last hope of communication with the team on such an obscure reference. What did it mean? _Fairytales_?

**There you go, _finally,_ Emilt's message revealed.**

**Review please, and let me know where you think this is going. I'd love to know if what I'm trying to convey is being conveyed.**

**Arc**


	15. Chapter 15

**Read and be knowledgeable.**

Silent Noise.

The two halves of the BAU team met in the hotel's corridor. The first half; JJ, Garcia and Morgan, bringing the vestiges of whatever Emily had been trying to tell them and the second half; Hotch, Rossi and Reid, bringing news of one Claudia Hawkner, a victim of someone abducting young girls. Coincide? Hotch thought not. The cacophony of voices rang out in the hotel, a garbled conversation neither side could really understand. Hotch held up a hand.

"Let's move this into a room, shall we?"

"Our room." JJ said, and walked toward it. She figured since her room held the evidence or Em's last message their talk should be held there. The team followed.

Hotch started to speak, to inform the team of this strange development but JJ stopped him.

"Hotch, you really need to see this. Emily left a message on the mirror. I only noticed it when I got out of the shower."

Brows crinkled in confusion. _How does some one leave a message on a mirror? _Rossi thought. But the confusion was immediately cleared up. Although the mirror was slowly defogging, the message was still readable. _Fairytales_, the mirror seemed to scream at them.

"Fairytales?" Hotch repeated. "Are you sure this is from Emily?"

"She was the one in the bathroom. It is conceivable that she was taken from in there and that is where we found her clothes." Morgan stated. They knew from the date stamp on the security camera photographs that the UnSub had abducted Emily around twenty past two.

"And as I said yesterday, she was showering when I fell asleep." JJ added, her voice dropping off when she realised she was mentioning her failings as an agent.

"Ok. Let's just put a hold on the ideas about the message for a moment. I had a phone call from St. Agnes' Hospital. Apparently, a girl was taken there yesterday who is claiming she was abducted by a man. It could be related to the UnSub."

"Why did they call you?" Morgan asked.

"They didn't. They were trying to call Agent Prentiss. The mother's name is Hawkner."

"I remember her. The daughter's a brunette. Em had Garcia run a bank account track on her."

"I think we need to interview her. If she has been abducted by the UnSub, she could give us more insight into why he has changed his type." Hotch said.

"We should also ask her how she escaped. That's the more unusual aspect." Rossi answered.

"Right. Morgan, Reid and…Garcia I want you to investigate the fairytale lead. JJ and Rossi, we're going to visit Mrs. Hawkner." Hotch was going to take Garcia instead of JJ to the hospital but she seemed to be, rather obviously, indicating that JJ should go with him. He would have words with her later about her appearance in Alleghany County. Hotch knew he hadn't specifically said to remain in Quantico, but he hadn't exactly offered an invitation either.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

Claudia Hawkner believed she was either dead, or having a really nice break from reality. Her mom was here, she was in a hospital, she was warm. There was food she was allowed to eat. Nice nurses and an extremely cute guy who her mother was fawning over with an intensity she had never seen before. Calling him 'her hero' and wondering 'how she was ever going to repay him', Claudia didn't exactly know what was going on, but she gathered they all thought there was some kind of miraculous event had happened.

Claudia was a bit clueless. The last thing she clearly remembered was white everywhere, a cold that felt colder than any temperature she had ever felt before and running. Lots and lots of running. And that _man_.She would never in all her life forget _him_. She was just starting to feel revolted again, something that had happened repeatedly since waking up that morning, in this hospital or delusion, she hadn't decided whether this was real or not yet.

She had a quick look at her feet and fingers when her mother, dream-mother, hadn't been looking. They were darkish, not the normal greyish colour they usually were. She'd been out, or was still out, in that snow somewhere and had been there for a very long time. Dawn til dusk possibly, she knew the risks. She probably had some early form of gangrene. She hoped she'd be able to keep all her fingers and toes. But if there were going to be this weird darkness on them maybe she should get them lopped off.

_Yay_ she thought, _I'll be a monochromatic amputee!_

Claudia contemplated making a run for it. But she was warm and fed, maybe only in her mind, physically she could be half-dead in a snowdrift, but right now…her comfort level was winning over her rationality. She was just about to snuggle down for a quick nap when two older men and pretty woman came into her room.

"Hello Claudia, my name is Agent Hotchner. This is Agents Rossi and Agent Jareau." The younger man said.

"You can call me JJ." The woman added.

She stared warily at them. She didn't move no need to draw more attention to herself.

"We want you to tell us where you've been for the past couple of days." The man, Agent Hotchner, stayed where he was. He didn't try to approach the bed. Claudia was thankful. Only females had been in her room since she had arrived, she didn't like that these two men were here. The female Agent, JJ, came closer, but only by a little bit. All three Agents seemed wary of her too.

"The nurses told us you were kidnapped. Can you tell us what happened? We're with the FBI and we think the man who took you, might have taken someone else when you escaped. Could you help us?"

"I didn't escape." She said, focusing only on JJ. If she didn't look anywhere else she could almost forget the men were in the room.

"You didn't escape?" JJ asked slightly bewildered.

"I think he let me go. I just woke up yesterday, the chain was gone, and the doors were all unlocked. I just ran away." Claudia stopped. Maybe she wasn't lying half-dead in a snowdrift somewhere, maybe she was lying half-dead in that room. The room she had woken up in, that horrible place that had been her bedroom for three days. Now that she had time to reflect, it was pretty weird that she just walked away from that house, those woods, that man.

"I know this is hard, but we need you to tell us everything you can remember about your time out there, with him." JJ said. It was usual for victims to pause while they spoke about the trauma they had experienced. But the girl seemed to drift off into a far off place, it took time to get her back on track.

Claudia seemed stuck for a starting point. She'd told her mother that she had been abducted by a man, but nothing else. Never anything else.

"You can't tell my mom." She said. The older man exchanged looks with the first one, Hotchner. "NO. I'm serious. She can't know."

"Your mother loves you, no matter what happened." Hotchner said. "I can promise you that." Claudia didn't look like she believed him, but she continued.

"The first night, nothing much happened. I was chained in my bedroom, with…" She trailed off. _They didn't need to know that did they? No_ she decided,_ stick to the basics_. "I couldn't leave the room, and I couldn't sleep. Not because I didn't want to, but because there was this tape playing, over and over and over all night. It was the rules, his rules. You know, like rinse the dishes after you use them. Put everything away before he gets home; don't open the front door for anyone. Never leave the house without him. I knew I had to obey."

"How did you know you had to obey him?" the older man asked.

"I just did." She replied sullenly. She turned to face the window; _if they weren't going to believe her then she wasn't going to talk to them at all_.

"Please, tell us what happened next." JJ prompted, Emily was always better with difficult witnesses, and victims.

"That day, he treated me like…I don't know, it's like he was testing my knowledge of the rules or something. It felt like an obstacle course, one I had to do from memory. I think I did good you know. He seemed happy with me." She looked to them for reassurance, he hadn't been too angry when she messed up those few times, he had seemed proud even.

"It wasn't too bad you know, being kidnapped by him. As long as I remembered the rules and did what he said it was fine." Her voice started to quaver, _why couldn't he have stayed the way he was that first day?_

"When did it change?" Agent Hotchner asked.

"The second night I was there." She replied, "He was different that night. Scary. He, he" she gestured to her body, moving her legs uncomfortably. "He attacked me. I couldn't stop him. He got angry when I fought back. Knocked me out. I woke up sometime the next day. He wasn't there…in the house I mean. He never came back. I was stuck in that room all day. I must have fallen asleep because when I woke up the next time, the chains were gone and I just ran away." Claudia shrugged, she was still unsure about the reality of the situation. _Was she really in hospital and were these really real Agents?_

Claudia had decided to just go with the flow and if she was dying out in the snow somewhere at least in her imagination, she was safe.

Hotch was extremely worried. The Doctor had informed them of the medical condition of the girl; malnutrition, a serious ankle wound, numerous bruises and contusions, possible gangrene, evidence of rape. Only once, but incredibly brutal. From her story, it was clear she had been unconscious through most of the attack. He was worried though, if this was the UnSub's ritual - that he only waited until the second night to rape his victims - tonight was going to be very bad for Agent Prentiss.

**Soooo? What doth mine intelligent patrons conclude...eth?**

**Arc**

**...I'm so not Shakespearean enough to do that properly :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Here it is, Emily Prentiss and the UnSub.**

**Some of my reviewers were getting quite 'uppity' about how long it's been taking to get to this. I believe it's called a dramatic tool ;)**

Courageous Stillness.

_Courage is not the towering oak that sees storms come and go; it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow._

_Alice M Swaim_

Supervisory Special Agent Prentiss wasn't just _good_ at compartmentalizing. She wasn't even just _better_ at compartmentalizing than most people.

Emily Prentiss was _exceptional _at compartmentalizing.

If they ever gave out an award for compartmentalizing, she would definitely be on the podium. And never before in her life had Emily had to use that gift like she was using it right now. Like she had been using it for the last day and half. It had taken roughly two hours for the UnSub to transport her to wherever she was now.

It was cold.

There was no food or water.

She was wearing a summer dress.

There was a sagging rotting cot.

A fireplace that was open to the frigid air outside.

No fire.

No blankets.

No shoes.

Hard wooden floors with complimentary splinters.

Oh and did she mention the two decaying corpses.

One, on the rotting bed, in a stained dress, probably white.

One, by the fireplace, blocking access to the hearth, dress – white, probably.

Then there was the tape, the awful, annoying tape. A list of rules she'd memorized after the first ten times, now she was reciting it to keep her sanity. It was always better to join in when something annoyed you. She hadn't quite figured out why that was, but it worked and it was keeping her sane, so that's all she really cared about. When morning had come, the UnSub had returned and spent the day with her. Testing her. Making sure she had understood the rules.

She made sure she understood them, followed them.

All the while, FBI Emily had been profiling him in the back of her brain, cataloging his behavior, watching him, learning him. Her survival depended on it.

The first thing the UnSub had said to her since arriving at the house yesterday, he had said only ten minutes ago.

"_We're going to have dinner soon_. _Go and freshen up_._" He had looked at her earnestly, reached out and tucked some hair behind her ear_.

_FBI Emily shuddered, but the Emily on the outside merely accepted his touches, and moved upstairs to 'freshen up', whatever that meant_. _Her room wasn't exactly conducive to freshening up; even the whitest snow became dirty in her room_.

So here she was 'freshening up' in a dirt-filled room. She rubbed some ice on her face, the chain on her leg allowing her to _just_ reach the small window of the room, if she stretched out completely and grabbed at the slushy snow with her fingertips. Any shorter girl would never be able to reach. Emily stored this new information away, if he didn't give her food or water soon, at least the meagre amount of snow coming through the windowsill could sustain her, not for long, but she had faith in her friends, her team.

Emily heard him call from downstairs. It was time for dinner. She had no illusions that she would be allowed to eat the food. From what she'd managed to glean from profiling him, she was not the one who was going to be having dinner tonight. Not until she had proven to him that she was his, that she belonged to him and that she understood that. She was his fantasy. And for now, to stay alive, she had to become that fantasy. So far, she hadn't put a step wrong; followed the rules, behaved meekly, been quiet, maidenly.

She stood slowly and carefully began the descent from her room, the cold wooden steps creaking as she put her foot upon them. Her dress hung about her, ivory in the darkness. She swallowed at the thought, the image she must make. Barefoot, pale dress, long dark tresses tousled by the winds and draughts of this old house. There was no light in the corridor, she made her way down the staircase by feeling only, it was difficult, so the going was slow, her hands and feet were extremely cold, the ability to feel, to touch was limited. She felt as if she was being presented at one of her mother's many parties, the big 'introduction' component of the gathering, when Ambassadors, Prime Ministers, Presidents, Royalty and the like were announced and glorified. She pushed the Emily-consciousness to the side. She needed to be who she was now, who he made her be.

Turning the corner, she froze in the doorframe, the room looked beautiful. Rustic, but beautiful. The fire was lit, large, bright flames waving and crackling enjoying the room. Candles, tea-light, sparkled around the walls, flickering shadows and light. It was really quite handsome, she thought. He was standing in the middle of the room, holding a bunch of wild red roses, but from where she stood they looked frozen, that couldn't be right…could it?

He knelt down suddenly, taking her by surprise.

"I finally found you. I've been searching for so long. You have passed every test I have set out for you. Like the Princess and the Pea you have shown me your true worth. No other has been as worthy as you."

_Was there anything to say to that?_ Emily merely stood, waiting him out. She was always going to follow his lead. He was, after all, the principal hero.

He loved that she waited on him, like she should. Loved that she never seemed skittish or afraid of him. She was peaceful and serene, as she should be. He recognized now that all the others paled in comparison to her. She was not only beautiful but magnificent.

"I have waited and waited, longed for this moment. I know you are a virgin, but you trust me implicitly. There is nothing to fear, it is always like this."

Somewhere in the Emily-consciousness, a three-inch section of her spine straightened. Tensed. The rest of her body was relaxed though. This was her prince, the beginning of the ever after. The happily was surely about to begin. It always began with a kiss and the promise to marry. _Did it ever say that in the fairytales_, she wondered. _The intention to marry is always there, but do you ever read or see them actually get married? There always seems to be a white dressed involved_.

She was still amid her thinking, trying to ascertain if in the fairytales the girl and her Prince Charming actually got married. It was this puzzled, fawn-ish look that had him launch.

**insert scary, ominous music**

**Reviews are appreciated and warm the cockles of my heart...what are cockles and why are they in my heart?**

**Arc**


	17. Chapter 17

**I hope every one has the capacity to forgive...**

Passion and Understanding.

Nobody really wants to know what goes on between a man and woman on their wedding night. It is acknowledged as the process of consummation of marriage, the clincher of the deal. It is simply nature taking its natural course.

The institution of marriage has taken a leave of absence (almost) lately, the whole documentation and rigmarole has taken a back seat to the relationship, each coupling is different and unique in their choices and understanding of what they value in the connection. For the most part though, it is assumed that the consummation of marriage is, for lack of a better word, consensual. But in the animal world, the male preens and dances, sings and cajoles the females into seeing his prowess, his manliness. The characteristics that make him the best choice for a mate, once the female has been cowed the male can just take what he desires. The lions prowl the savannahs grouping lionesses together, keeping the pride going. Most birds mate for life, especially Peach-faces, or lovebirds, as they are known. They get together and never leave each other. If one dies, the other soon follows. Foxes and dogs have a pack mentality, alpha male and alpha female, hierarchies that cause the others in the pack to bend to the alpha's desires. But of course, there is always the search for the right partner, and he had finally found his.

The great old house had been around for many generations, had stood still while family intrigues, tragedies and romances played out within it. But this last decade had brought many changes, none of them good, especially for the young females brought into the upper room. If this house had a conscience, had feelings, emotions, morals and ethics; it would have been outraged at what disgusting degradations had occurred there.

Girls and women were kept captive in this house, they had their spirits broken. They were violated in this house. The house was the one to hear their wretched cries in the night, their broken dreams scattered on its floors. Tonight was the night the new woman would be violated too. And it was happening right now, in the living room. The house, had it had a choice, wouldn't have watched, but being a house and not an entity having physical eyes, it viewed everything.

He had pounced on her, like a jaguar on its prey, knocking her to the ground. His bulk weighing her down, she tried to move out from under him but could not. He pressed himself on her, using his body to still her movements.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he began to raise the skirt of her dress. It might have been romantic had it not been for the forearm lying heavily across her throat. It was amazing she was still breathing. When he reached for his own trousers, the woman fought in earnest. She bucked and twisted, scratching at his arms and legs, drawing blood from his torso…through his shirt. The man merely murmured a throaty laugh. It was always better for him when they fought. She was the best female fighter the house had ever witnessed. Somehow she managed to flip him off her body, but she didn't run away. Where could she go? She was still chained around the leg to the house.

The man grinned, his face alight with pleasure, she truly was the most wonderful woman he had ever found. She had fought him diligently, no pitiful screams or mewls as other before her had done. No cries, or crocodile tears, no pretending that they weren't pleased by him. It was so frustrating when the women wouldn't acknowledge who he was. They should have been grateful he was even contemplating marrying them. But he had not found the right woman yet, he saw that clearly the moment she came into his house. She was perfect. Even now, refusing to let him have her easily. It only fuelled his desire to have her even more. He revelled in the feelings she had wrought throughout his body. Her scratches that drew blood, his shirt was in tatters, the magnitude of her passion for him was incredible. He felt victorious, invigorated. She was standing in the middle of the living room breathing hard. Her face was impassive though. The perfectness of her hit him like a wave of steel. He lunged once more toward her, grabbing her to him in a single movement. He locked his arms under hers, effectively crushing her into his chest. He was a tall man, and she a tall woman but he still seemed to tower over her. She was standing on tiptoes from the force of his grasp. He leaned in closer than before, her eyes widen at the thought he might kiss her. His pulse raced with anticipation.

"Beautiful Snow White," he began, "we shall be one tonight." He kissed her thoroughly. Nipped and bit at her mouth, she tried to pull away again, but only succeeded in pulling them both off balance. They collapsed onto the floor, him on top of her. She hit the back of her head on the wooden floorboards, a harsh cracking sound resonated. His hands were trapped beneath her body, but he still had the upper hand. He shifted her and began to remove her dress. She had a slightly dazed expression on her face, just before he could pull her dress off completely, she caught his hands with her own.

Her voice was husky with disuse, "I always thought I'd be married the first time."

"We're married if I say we are." He replied.

"We haven't had a ceremony." Her voice quavered, if he didn't know her better he'd imagine she was about to cry.

"Snow, what's going on with you?" He asked.

They were still lying on the floor, candles and flames flickered about the room. She swallowed, her eyes were downcast, like she was thinking about something crucial to her survival, which was very silly considering they were to be together for ever.

She closed her eyes before starting, and she didn't open them again until she had finished. "I'd like to be married in the snow, with a ceremony, in the day with the sun shining down on us."

Snow White prayed to God that her prince would understand her request. It wouldn't be right to have the wedding night before the wedding, no matter how much her husband-to-be wanted it. She was a princess after all and they had certain codes to live by.

Emily Prentiss, somewhere, prayed that an extra twelve hours would be enough.

**See, _fairytales_... is it at all what you were thinking?**

**Arc**


	18. Chapter 18

**So a little bit of the UnSub, and catch up with the team :)**

Revealing Natures.

He ranted and raved. Kicked cupboard doors, smacked his fists against walls. Threw shoes and logs and candles across the living room. The force of the throw extinguishing the flames. He couldn't believe how his most perfect night had ended. He'd been through a myriad of emotions concerning Snow White. He'd been happy, joyful in anticipation of their union. Wistful and romantic, when he'd seen her enter the room he had prepared for them. Excited and aroused, when they'd fought for dominance and the outworking of their love for each other. Sad and angry at her desire to have a wedding in the sun. _He had been furious_. He acknowledged. She had so easily disregarded his passion for her. He had been so enraged, it had happened so quickly. Lying on top of her body, feeling the hormones and blood rush through his body. _How dare she!_ His mind had yelled at him, worked him into a furore so easily that she was almost unconscious before he'd realized his hands were at her throat choking her to death.

He had stopped immediately. Sorrowful, regretful, apologetic.

He wanted her awake for their union. And now that his blood had stopped rushing about his body, the endorphins had quelled his rage, her request was not so odd, so wrong. It was in fact quite the opposite. It spoke to her loveliness, her rightness. Of course, she would wish to have the ceremony first, to stand before the sun, in the forest with her animal friends, and declare her undying love for him. Her commitment to him for all time. _Yes_, he thought, _a ceremony of snow and sun_.

He returned to her sleeping body, gently lifted her from the floor. He carried her to the room above the stairs. Her shared room with the other two women, the ones who were almost his brides. He kept them here specially, away from the others, the ones who had fallen so short of his hopes for them. These two were special; they deserved to see his bride, to see what and who they should have been.

Somewhere in his heart though, he couldn't truly blame them, it was not their fault that they were not Snow White. _An error of birth for them_ he decided. _A miracle of delight for Snow White_. The glorious woman in his arms. He lay on her the cot, arranged her beside her near-sister, _tomorrow they would wed_.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

No one had slept, for they all understood the implications of the night for Emily. JJ and Garcia had stayed cloistered in their hotel room. The one JJ and Emily had previously shared. Morgan and Reid worked on the fairytale angle, if Emily had used her last hope of communicating with the team to say that one word, they were going to give it every possible chance of telling them what she had intended. Hotch and Rossi and been interviewing Mrs. Hawkner, Mattie Bleekford and the nurses and doctors at the hospital. They had devised a map marking down the stretch of road Mattie had found Claudia. It was a good hour's drive away from the hospital. The hospital being about a half an hour from the Hotel Camelot. They had assumed from Claudia's statement that she had been walking for twelve to fourteen hours. But given her medical condition, the temperature and having no knowledge of the area, or directions she had taken, the chances of narrowing down the field of inquiry was small. But at least they had a specific area to search, unlike the previous day when they had the whole of Alleghany County to search.

"Reid we've been going over this all night." Morgan started.

"Are you saying we should take a break?"

"Well, I would but…this is Emily."

"Maybe we're thinking about this the wrong way." Reid shuffled the papers that were strewn across his bed. Morgan tilted his head, too tired to ask, but interested just the same.

"Maybe we should try to think of this as who would Emily be trying to talk to with this message. Obviously us, but for what point, to what end."

"So that we could help her."

"Exactly, but in what capacity?"

"What?" Morgan looked intently toward Reid.

"Obviously she left the message for us to find, hoping that we would find it, so we could help her. She must have known by then that the UnSub was going to take her."

"Why do you say that?"

"If the UnSub was going to take JJ, he would have either locked her in the bathroom, since that's where we are assuming she was, or killed her. Then she would be here to tell us her ideas."

"Right." Morgan realized he was merely acknowledging Reid's thought processes now, verbal affirmations seemed to placate Reid's need for acceptance in social situations.

"But, she was the one taken, and therefore she must have been given time to write the message, possibly while getting changed into the dress we saw her in."

"The dress in the security photos."

"Exactly."

"So, getting back to her reason for the message."

"Yes, well. What would Emily be wanting to tell us about the UnSub that would be helpful to us in finding her?" Reid inquired.

"I don't know, maybe…" Morgan trailed off, unsure of what Emily could possibly be thinking.

"Come on Morgan, we're profilers. This should be relatively easy for us."

"Yeah, but it's Emily. We don't, you know, consciously profile our own."

"She's not going to be mad at us for it."

"Right." He nodded his head. That didn't seem to placate him. He kept seeing her eyes flash when he said something to annoy her, the times she wasn't amused. She was one of the few females he was actually afraid of, when her eyes did that. The other being his mother, and his sisters (when he had to introduce them to his more permanent girlfriends).

"So…." This time Reid was the one to trail off; Emily and Morgan were closer than he and Emily. She cared for him, but she didn't reveal her thoughts to him, not like she seemed to with Derek.

"She would probably tell us something we could use to understand him." Morgan said.

"And why would fairytales help with that?" _Help him with his train of thought_. Reid instructed himself.

"Let's just leave the fairytales for a minute okay? The message Em would leave, would have to be related to something integral to our understanding him."

"And…" Reid loved watching the other profilers in the team become the UnSub, it was something he wasn't proficient at doing. He took what he knew and applied it; but Morgan seemed to slide into an UnSub's consciousness. Even if the UnSub for this particular profile was Emily.

"I'd want to leave a message that would be easily understood, I wouldn't have much time to leave it with him being outside."

"It would need to be simple, to the point. No time for explanations." Reid added.

"So one word, maybe two. I don't know what's going to happen to me or where I'm going to be taken. My teammate is in danger. The only thing that is going to be helpful is…." Morgan had suddenly stopped. He had been slowly pacing the room, thinking on his feet, like you would if you were…say trapped in a small space, like a bathroom.

"What?" Reid asked in alarm.

"Victimology." Morgan said.

"Victimology?"

"Fairytales is about the victimology. Why the UnSub chooses his victims."

"Because Emily would have realized that by choosing her he had changed his type."

"And she would have jumped on that inconsistency in our profile of him."

"She'd already been pondering about something to do with the profile; she had said that it felt more incomplete than usual."

"It must have just clicked." Morgan added.

"What did?" Reid asked _what was it about fairytales that was so important_?

"Fairytales." Morgan replied, "She was trying to tell us the reason he abducts these women."

"Which is…"

"He's looking for the perfect wife, right? We knew that already. But he's using fairytale characters as the basis for those choices."

"Which characters then? The women he took were either sleeping or at work. And we're not sure why he took Emily."

"That's true, I mean about Emily. We don't have a clear understanding of why he took her, or even where he saw her first, but with the others, definitely."

"Are you going to tell me?" Reid asked after Morgan had paused, instead of an answer Morgan burst out of the hotel room and practically ran to the one containing Hotch and Rossi. Reid was right behind him.

**I hope everyone is following the train of thoughts of the characters. I'm really trying to keep everyone in character too. **

**Arc**


	19. Chapter 19

**Everything is really starting to come to a head in this fic.**

**I'm really surprised at how a seemingly simple idea can end up taking this long to work out :)**

Tales of Meaning.

Hotch felt rather than heard the hotel room door open.

"Hotch," it was Morgan, "I've figured out what Emily was trying to say."

"Fairytales?" he answered. He'd been hoping for some revelation soon.

"I'll get Garcia and JJ." Rossi said quietly, slipping out the open door. Reid and Morgan made themselves comfortable while they waited for the girls to arrive.

Morgan was practically sizzling with barely contained energy. His usual stoic/comedic tendencies had been completely ripped away since Emily's abduction. He was nervous, tense, jittery. Apparently, Hotch had underestimated Morgan's attachment to the woman.

After what seemed an eternity but was probably closer to four minutes, Rossi returned with Garcia and JJ.

"Morgan," Hotch said.

"Right, so Reid and I think we've figured out what Emily was tyring to tell us."

"Well, Morgan thinks he's figured it out, I'm a bit behind him." Reid added.

"So what is it?" Hotch asked impatiently.

"I think Emily was trying to tell us information related to his victimology. The typology of his victims, why he was choosing them. And why he has switched types."

"Which is what? I thought I'd look into the internet see what's out there regarding fairytales, but it was too content heavy. I mean I don't think Emily was trying to tell us to watch Disney." Garcia said.

"No not at all. Remember how we were confused about the change in victims. How first he took sleeping women, we hypothesised that he accelerated from a peeping tom into an abductor?"

"Yeah," JJ added, "and then he changed to taking women from their workplaces."

"Where they were cleaners." Rossi added.

"Exactly." Morgan looked around the room with an excited expectation. No one seemed to catch on to his train of thought. "Come on guys, think fairytales."

He waited another moment, silently begging them to come to the same conclusion as he had.

"Morgan, can you just spell it out for us. I'm not in the mood for these kinds of games. If you think you've understood Emily's message, it's more important for us to work with that knowledge than for us to guess it." Hotch stated, losing patience with the game.

"Right, sorry. Where was I?" he had become flustered by Hotch's rebuke.

"Fairytales babe. You were about to astound us with your interpretation of Emily's message." Garcia reminded him.

"Okay, well we had decided that the UnSub was trying to create the perfect life for himself. A fairytale romance or whatever. He'd taken the girls to become his wives, or partners."

"Riiight." JJ dragged out the word, hoping at some point Morgan would illuminate the hidden meaning for her, and most likely the rest of the team.

"Think about it, the UnSub has taken the world of fairytales to heart. He believes that the characters, the heroines in fairytales are a guide, or map, to finding his true love. The perfect mate for him. What fairytales fit the typology of the victims?"

"Morgan." Hotch stressed his name. Morgan realised he was treading on very thin ice, and immediately jumped back into the explanation.

"The first four victims were sleeping when they were taken right?" he paused, "so…Sleeping Beauty. The next three were taken from their jobs, two were cleaners and one worked with animals, cleaned up after them. So that would mean…"

"Cinderella!" JJ exclaimed. "I mean a lot of fairytales involve the female characters in some sort of cleaning or servant role, but…"

"Cinderella is commonly believed, or at least usually depicted as being a blonde, with blue eyes." Reid finished the thought.

"Exactly, now, I don't know why the Sleeping Beauties and the Cinderella's didn't work out but he changed types because they didn't work for him."

"Claudia Hawkner." Rossi said.

"She's a brunette, dark eyes, tallish like the other women." Hotch continued.

"So what fairytale might work with that?" Morgan asked, "That's the only one I'm not sure about yet."

"Are we going to think mainstream fairytales or all of them, including obscure ones?" Reid asked. "Because there happen to be quite a lot of interesting references in fairytales; Bluebeard, The Frog Prince, Jack and The Beanstalk, the Nightingale, The Four Skilful Brothers, then there are the really obscure narratives such as Almondseed and Amondella, Bearskin, 'One-eye, Two-eyes, Three-eyes.'"

"Reid, focus on the ones involving female heroines who are either rescued or in some way interact with a hero." Rossi advised.

"Okay, heroines who interact with heroes. Do you want me to factor in romanticism in the storyline?'

"Yes. Only ones where there is a strong romantic theme. We have to assume that would be a trigger for the UnSub. It's not like The Elves and The Shoemaker make a strong romantic point in the story." Morgan added, ignoring the look of intrigued surprise coming from Garcia. _Hey, _he thought _I grew up with sisters!_

"Exactly. So...romantic fairytales based upon male and female counterparts. Beauty and the Beast, The Goose Girl, The Nutcracker, Rumpelstiltskin, The Six Swans, Snow White-" he went to continue but JJ stopped him.

"How helpful is this really going to be? Does it matter right now, why he took Emily? That doesn't help us to pinpoint her location."

"We need to talk to Claudia again. There has to be a trigger. A reason the UnSub chose her, perhaps he may have told her why she was chosen." Rossi said.

"JJ, come with me and Rossi, we'll talk to Claudia again. Reid, Morgan and Garcia search the internet, police records anything tied to the area Claudia may have been held captive in. Look at land records too. The UnSub would need a place where he felt comfortable enough to hold women there without neighbours overhearing, it's unlikely that he would move around. Look into people who have stayed on the same land for the whole three years." Hotch said quickly. He rose and started gathering his gun, badge and other paraphernalia. JJ and Rossi left to collect their items too.

"Come on boys, let's go to my set-up." Garcia led the way to her room, she'd had her programs running checks for inconsistencies and/or matches throughout multiple databases. She didn't know exactly what she was looking for but she'd made many amazing discoveries by doing this before, in fact she'd been shot because of her inability in letting things rest.

**Geez, I hope these people figure out how to save Emily soon.**

**Arc **

**;)**


	20. Chapter 20

**I know some of you wanted another Emily chapter, I tried...I really did. But this came out instead. **

**I promise that the next chapter will be about Emily!**

Lies in Truth.

They were back again, the two men and the woman. The FBI. _They couldn't possibly know she'd lied…could they?_ She wasn't going to be arrested for perverting the cause of justice, it's not like she had purposely set out to lie to the Government. _Some things were private…right?_

The trio were waiting outside her room, probably warning her mother that her only daughter was about to be shipped off to prison for perjury. _Could she plead the fifth? Was it a bad sign when you asked yourself for reassurance?_

Rossi gazed intently into the hospital room. He'd overheard the nurses casually speak about her nightmares, and the crazed look in her eyes when they woke her. He carefully let himself into the room, staying close to the wall, giving as much space from himself as possible. There was no need to scare her.

"Hello." He said.

Claudia stared at him, taking in his stance, the language of his body. She came to a decision.

"I didn't mean to lie…honest."

"Lie?" He inquired, raising a lone eyebrow.

"Some things are private, like the balance of your bank account. You don't just go and announce it to the world."

"I'm not here because I think you've lied."

"You're not?" She seemed nervous, he concluded. Silence fell on the room while both people tried to figure out what to say. _Of course, _Rossi realized, _she doesn't know we've had access to her medical files_.

"You don't have to tell me anything personal." He began, he was pleased when, for the first time since he'd met her, she looked him in the eyes. "I just need you tell me about the man who took you."

"I don't know anything about him," she said emphatically. Silence reigned again. But Rossi could she her indecisiveness, her hands fidgeting beneath the blankets, her eyes wouldn't engage his, her body slightly turned away, turned towards herself. The beginnings of the foetal position, the universal sign of comfort.

"Maybe you know more than you think you do." He waited until she looked at him before continuing, "Every moment you spent with him can help us to catch him. He's taken another women you know."

"I know! You told me last time." He voice had risen a few quavers, obviously appealing to her sympathetic side was not going to gain him any favors.

"This man stole you, kept you captive, hurt you."

"What do you mean hurt me, he didn't hurt me!" Claudia shifted, _how could he know, he couldn't know! No one was ever supposed to know_.

"Your leg, your ankle. You said he attacked you, knocked you out."

"Oh that!" She heaved a sigh of relief, "Yes he hurt me."

Rossi made a mental note to avoid sympathy and mentioning the physical attacks.

"What do you want to know about him." Claudia started, she seemed to want to help him now.

"Did he talk to you at all, call you names? Can you describe the house, anything at all could be vital information in finding him."

"I asked him how he found me…"

"Yes?"

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

Prince Charming went to the special glade. The ancestral forest on his land, the small parcel that had been specifically set apart on the property ages ago. His ancestors had designated this area sacred to their line. It was the only area on the entire property that could not be worked, no animals were allowed to graze there, no buildings to be built, it was never to be sold. It was almost sacred.

He loved it there. Spent his childhood playing Robin Hood in this clearing. He was never allowed to be Robin Hood, he was always relegated to Friar Tuck, or the Sheriff of Nottingham. His cousins had always put him down, beat up on him, left him behind, but in doing so they had opened the door for Grandfather. Grandfather had seen the potential for greatness in him. His little prince.

Grandfather was the one to tell him about the greatness hiding in the land, the epic tales of love and heroism that had been written down in the fairytales. He had told Prince about the ancestry of their family. The great trek made to America in the 1700s from Ireland. How the faeries had been tied to the family for generations, tied to their land and their children. His Grandfather had told him many tales, many accounts of the family and had taken him on weekends into the forests to search for the faeries. His Grandfather had seen the potential in him and it was his solemn duty to obey his Grandfather in everything. Everything and anything.

He was taught how to hunt, to build and to fight, how to speak properly with respect; all the things that his family regarded as important to their morals, to their codes. His Grandfather was the one who explained 'the birds and the bees', his father had never been around, probably in Mexico with his sixteenth girlfriend. His father had left his mother when Prince had turned four. Another woman had caught his eye, he'd told Prince that it was because his mother wasn't good enough, she wasn't pure enough. But Prince knew the true reason, Grandfather had explained it.

His mother hadn't followed his Grandfather's advice, she had allowed herself to become beguiled by the Wolf, by Bluebeard. Curiosity had subjected her to a cruel world. His father wasn't a prince, he was barely a squire, barely a hard-working fisherman. His father was an urchin, an unworthy character. On his seventeenth birthday, the aging and dying Grandfather had led Prince Charming into this glade one last time, and told him all of his secrets. Explained to him how he should live his life, in search of true love, as set out in the faerie's tales. How Grandfather had avenged his daughter's (Prince's mother's) reputation, her innocence, her purity.

_Yes_, Prince thought, _this is the perfect place_. _History, heritage, ancestry, love, vengeance, purity and perfection, they all culminate at this place, in this glade_. He glanced around the snow covered clearing, seeing the tree trunks, their spindly frozen arms reaching protectively around the hollow. _This would be were he and his perfect bride would be married, where they would start their life together_.

**So... I'm going away for the weekend and won't be able to post again til sometime middle of the next week. **

**Please don't hate me, it's just going to have to add to the suspense...sorry :)**

**Arc**


	21. Chapter 21

**I'm soo sorry it has taken a while for this update, I got back from my weekend away and the whole world (of my life) went crazy!**

**But here is the new chappie!**

Morning Lies.

_There is neither heaven nor earth, only snow, falling incessantly_.

_Unknown_

There is a moment before you completely awake, a infinitesimally tiny quark of a moment when you exist both in the dream world and in the real world. For most people who get to experience this moment, and to remember it, this moment is quiet, relaxing, beautiful. Usually because they are blissfully asleep in their comfy beds, wrapped up in their warm blankets or cooling sheets, depending on the time of year. Their eyes open to the familiar, their room is waiting for them to animate it.

Emily Prentiss did not have one of those moments.

The moment she had was filled with stark awakening terror, a touch of revulsion and body binding fear.

Snow White's room, where she had been held captive for the better part of two days, was also room to two other inhabitants. Two corpses that were desiccated, rotting yet slightly preserved due to the wintery cold.

Unfortunately for Emily Prentiss, one of those corpses was positioned on the bed. The very same bed that she had been placed upon the previous night.

Her eyes opened blearily and tried to focus on the closest thing. Pale and dark grey greeted her. The musky smell of 'not-death, past-death', something that was once alive but now in limbo, trapped between the world of life and the world of non-existence. This once-woman, a beautiful and vibrant creature that had existed in the past, was now a lonely remnant of who and what she had been. The profiler consciousness of Agent Prentiss noted that had she merely viewed this scene on the job she would have been interested in the ramifications and psychological patterns of the UnSub. Seeing the victims laid out in this manner brought to her the idea of guilt and personalization into his pathology. But for right now the Emily consciousness, the person Emily, the woman Emily was brought to the forefront.

She hastily managed to swallow a squeak that attempted to break out, she quickly scrambled off the cot, practically falling over the corpse in her hurry to escape it. She stood breathing heavily in the center of the room, standing between the corpse on the bed, the corpse by the hearth and the door, all the while still shivering in the cold and an iron manacle tightening it's claustrophobic grip on her ankle.

Slowly she regained control of her body and mind. Pushing aspects of her personality that had no place in this environments to the background and pulling out pieces of herself that could cope with this place to the foreground. She pushed away the Agent, moulded the femaleness of herself to be meek and subdued. She closed down the independent, vibrant part of herself. Essentially she destroyed everything that made her be Emily Prentiss. She pieced together Snow White, her impressions from stories, Disney, and the UnSub. She drew from her wealth of intelligence, from the profile she had made of him, from her experiences with him. Today Snow White was to be married, and Emily needed to drag it out for as long as she possibly could. _How long could she survive out here before she decided death was infinitely preferable to life with him?_

Ten seconds later, Snow White inhabited the room.

Snow White glanced briefly around her bed chamber. She shared it with two other princesses and there was no dissension among them, seeing as it had become clear that she was to be married to Prince Charming. Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella seemed to be trapped in this room, but she knew her prince to be charming, effervescent and considerate. She concluded that the women must reside in this room as a form of celebration or as a mark of distinction, Beauty and Cinderella must have done something wonderful to be given the opportunity of residing in Prince's palace. _But what could she do to pass the time productively? What would most please her prince?_

Snow White eventually decided to tidy up the attic room as best she could given the circumstances. Today was the day of marriage, the consummation of all her dreams and the instigation of her very own 'happily ever after', she was immensely glad Prince had recognized her and chosen her to accompany him for all eternity.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

He was preparing, preparing and reminiscing. Preparing for the wedding and reminiscing about all the 'all-mosts', there were a lot of them. _What was that bastardization of fairytale lore?_ _Ah yes, _he thought and grinned to himself, _you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you kiss the prince_. And he was definitely the prince; there was absolutely no doubt about that. Prince has all the necessary items laid out up the kitchen table. The floral bouquet, beautiful, eloquent blooms that possessed an innocence and loveliness reminiscent of Snow White. They were tiny, flawless roses, red, white, and tinged buds. They were of course, frozen. He had finally found everything he had ever wanted. His affinity for snow was finally becoming a hard-boiled reality. There was no denying the importance of snow in his life, it was the last thing his Grandfather had bequeathed to him, the importance of snow in his life, their lives. The clearing in the woods, the faerie tales, his essence was inevitably tied to the snow, he never felt more alive, more important, or more powerful than when it was winter, when the snow fell and covered the world with it's exquisite pureness.

He gazed out the window, watched as the snow fell, quietly, silently like the night. It was nearing time. He wanted to marry Snow White in the snow with the sun high above their heads. He wanted the apex of the sun's movements to be exactly, or as near to exactly as possible, over the clearing. To give Snow White her desire, a wedding in the snow and sun. The bright rays of the star would bring them brightness and reflect the good omens that the spirits would bless their union with.

**Sorry to leave you there, I know what's coming next, I jus have to finish writing it!**

**Arc**


	22. Chapter 22

**I love the feedback I'm getting on this story! You guys are so fantastic! **

**We're getting closer and closer...**

Noon Rumors.

It was roughly midday.

She suspected.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

_A glorious day to be wed_, her mind examined the pretty wilderness that surrounded them.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

He watched her intently, saw her small movements, her tiny expressions. He was convinced, she was greatly impressed with his clearing, his family's sacred place. He had finally found his bride, his wife. There was nothing in the world that could prevent their union. His excitement was building, they were so close to perfection it was almost unbearable, in an exquisite new sort of pain, one he had rarely felt before. It added a whole new dimension to his manhood, to his manliness, his powerful nature. He knew he would never become angry again, she would accept all of him, it was her purpose. She was not just Snow White, she was _his_ Snow White, no one else's, never again would anyone be given the privilege of being alone with her, she would accompany him everywhere, acknowledge his superiority at very turn, He was nothing if not able to accept her constant and undying devotion and adoration. He leant in for a quick, but decisive kiss. A few moments later, they were standing in front of the altar he had prepared that morning. It was strewn with similar roses to her bouquet; they all glistened as the light reflected luminously off the melting snowflakes.

He turned to her, basking in the glorified sunlight. Slivers of light sweeping through the clouds, snowflakes, soft and delectable fell from their smalls havens in the sky. The snowflakes fell and adorned her, beautified her in unimaginable ways. She seemed not to recognize the beautiful, extraordinary place she inhabited. Her dark, luscious locks curled in masses of unruly chocolate goodness, he wondered if she smelled like chocolate too. Later, after they were wed, he would take his time with her. Savor her, savor the moment that he would be able to repeat again and again. Not like all the pitiful, useless, imperfect others who had misled him and pulled him off the track from finding Snow White.

He briefly thought of the other almost-perfect girl, He realized now that she was too young, too naïve to truly be his Snow White. The other had not gone through the wholly dishonest, scheming ways of the Stepmother. But Snow White certainly had, there was an aura of the survivor in her. Like his mother and his grandfather before him. The other girl's face flashed before him, her beguiling expression in the snow, the first time he had seen her. Her malevolent stepmother torturing her into compliance for a 'family' photography session. Ripping through her brunette hair with that horrid tortoise-shell comb, pulling and teasing her wonderfully tousled hair into a boring and staid sheath of hair, lifelessly falling straight down her shoulders. That was when he realized her had been looking in all the wrong places for his bride. He had taken that brutal comb as well, bravely encroached on the enemy's castle to abscond with both the daughter and the torture device. He had broken that comb and scattered it's pieces in the holding place, where the others were safely waiting.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

Garcia's brilliance in the cyber world had finally paid off. Just when their belief in her ability to whip rabbits out of shiny black top-hats was wavering and about to disappear completely, the magician would flourish her hands over the keyboard, chant the mysterious incantations and information would flow from the ether like apparitions at a séance. The programs Penelope had designed to search through the mountains of data in the computer-generated reality had uncovered an amazing fact. There was only one property that Claudia Hawkner could have been held on. The property was huge though, and that presented a problem. A major problem. Actually, it had held a variety of problems, one being that it was two hours drive away from their hotel, they had left immediately. Derek, Reid, Rossi and Hotch in one SUV, three patrol cars following them (called in from other areas) and JJ and Garcia back at the station with the laptop and other slower, poorer and outdated computers. Garcia had pitied them.

"Half it's forest!" Derek exclaimed in outrage. "How are we ever going to find her in that?"

"The likelihood of finding Emily is good," Reid paused, "if we aren't concerned about the when."

"Oh we're definitely concerned about the when." Derek replied. "We don't have time! We need to go faster."

"We can't in this snow, the street's haven't been cleared yet." Rossi replied.

Hotch was driving as fast as he dared, about five miles under the normal speed limit, it was still dangerously fast on the wet, snowy asphalt.

"Maybe I can try to hack into a satellite or something, redirect the positioning system and have a look for her?" Garcia said through the corresponding laptop Reid had brought to allow them to converse as they usually did. Her fingers began to move rapidly over the keyboard.

"No, don't. We can't afford for you to bring that kind of attention on us, especially since you're already on a watch list," JJ said.

"Besides it's almost a white-out here. You wouldn't be able to locate Agent Prentiss in all this snow." Rossi added, his calm demeanor betrayed by the quiver in his voice. Prentiss had proved her loyalty to him months ago, seeing through his gruffness and the aura of independence he used as a shield. She had been the one to rally the troops (so to speak) around him when the twenty year anniversary had almost destroyed him, she had been the one to help resolve the case. She had helped keep his hope afloat, helped him to solve that god-forsaken case.

He wasn't about to lose her now. He'd never felt more connected to another Agent as he had to Emily Prentiss, it was a deep and intimate friendship born out of respect and acceptance.

Hotch noted the emotions of the team, they were wearying, their hope was fading. When Reid had been kidnapped by Henkel, at least they had the sporadic video-linkup to sate their curiosity and worry. Emily had disappeared off their radar, it was only guess-work and estimations that had them thinking she was still in the area. The last picture they had of her was a grainy, blurry black and white long distance shot of an Emily-resembling woman handcuffed to a car.

"Garcia, what about Council plans? Department of Planning? Anything that might suggest houses, or buildings, somewhere on that property that he might keep her?"

"There's the main house, but it's unlikely. He would have to know that we're going to come after our Agent?" Garcia replied.

"He may not be thinking clearly. He may not even realize that the FBI have been called into this. After all, if he thinks it's all fairytales no one truly knows what happens after the ever afters. He might not even know that people want their missing girls back." Derek added.

"I know it's quite pop-culture, but I have an idea." Garcia grinned as her fingers danced their magic once more.

Google-earth appeared on the laptop.

**I LOVE GARCIA! She totally rocks! I'm so pleased when what I write is something I can actually see her saying on the show...is that odd?**

**Arc**

**Please review, it makes me happy to see all the different perspectives when you read my story :)**


	23. Chapter 23

**Here we come...walking down the street...gett'n the funniest looks from...everyone we meet!**

**Hey, hey we're the MONKEES...ah ahem I mean the best FBI BAU team there is...**

**Wow, that was awkward!**

Figures on the Snow.

They were creeping along the snow. Carefully pressing their feet to the ground, heel first then outside edge, rolling to the inside edge, then the toe, all in the pursuit of making no sound. If the UnSub had knowledge of this area, he could very well be on edge and listening out for anything different. He could become violent at the idea of trespassers on his land. No matter how hard he tried Derek couldn't think of the UnSub by his name. That name Garcia had uncovered on the deed of the land. Tobey O'Conner. It was an even more inconspicuous name than other serial killers. But then your name couldn't possibly have any influence over the course of your life, whether you would become a killer or not, that would just be too outlandish. Every Jeffrey, Ted, Gary, David, Dennis and Aileen would become potential killers. Then you would get some weird real version of that movie with Tom Cruise, and psychics in silvery puddles of water having visions and a computer system rigged up to do some crazy Bingo ball interpretation of who was the future killer, who would die (in the future but not really cause the police would stop it) and all the other aspects of a killing yet to take place. He shook his head slightly, he needed to focus, find Emily, protect her, get her back and take her far, far away from Tobey O'Conner. _Killing/psychotic/rapist_.

The four BAU members took the front flank; they were better prepared for this kind of operation. They had debriefed their fellow law enforcement officers over the radio, a quick outline of the working plan and they had immediately descended into the forested property. On the two-hour drive, Garcia had uncovered two buildings on the property, the main house and another unregistered building. Hotch and Rossi had immediately agreed that the unregistered building held a better chance of housing Emily. Upon arrival, they sent three policemen to the main house to secure it. The others followed them at a distance of three meters, periodically widening their fanning out movements to end up circling the clearing, and subsequently the building once they reached their destination.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

JJ's mind was blank.

Since Emily had been abducted, her mind had been screaming at her, rebuking her for all the mistakes she had made on this case. Rattling her emotions about, conveying in whispered messages the trueness of guilt. That is was _her_ fault Emily was at the mercy of the UnSub. Just like Reid had been with Henkel. It was all JJ's fault. Reid had forgiven her, but Reid was a gorgeous human being, so was Emily. _I didn't mean it like that_ she thought exasperatedly to herself. Reid had been drugged, beaten and almost died, but he hadn't been abducted while she was sleeping, in fact, Reid had been abducted while she had been fighting off crazy killer dogs. She had been busy defending herself. But Emily, no…she was ASLEEP! _How is that even possible, to be asleep while one of your closest friends is taken?_

JJ barely spoke, she barely breathed. Even if the guys managed to save her, what kind of trauma would she have experienced, would she be able to work again, be near the guys again?

_Would Emily ever be able to forgive her? _

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

The team slowly advanced toward the clearing that housed the unknown building. They feet making no sound, there weapons drawn but held slightly down and to the left, to maintain safety. Suddenly, Hotch (who was in the lead of the formation) held up a closed fist. The sign for an "immediate stop." Soon everyone saw what he had seen. Standing in the clearing were two figures, one rugged up; boots, pants, jacket, gloves, the other though wasn't. She was wearing a light dress and nothing else. She was standing the snow in bare feet, her arms were bare but she didn't seem to be feeling the cold, in fact, she seemed to be unaware of where she was. She was hovering near a square-shaped stone in front of the stone building. The man was standing a few feet away from her gazing intently at her. They both seemed unaware that the FBI and Police were closing in on their position. Hotch know that it was a good sign for them, but a bad sign for Emily. _How much was she going to understand?_ Emily was a wonderful agent, she was strong and compassionate, but this was something she had never experienced. Being at the mercy of an UnSub with no backup and no idea of when help would be arriving.

Rossi's hand closed tightly over his gun. He wanted nothing more than to shoot the UnSub right now. But he couldn't. Logistically, Tobey O'Conner was too far away for a safe shot. And Emily was too close to him, Rossi watched in utter disbelief as she moved closer still and willingly held out her hand to him. Rossi glanced quickly toward Morgan, saw his disbelief shining back at him and knew something incredibly dangerous was being played out before them. Something Emily Prentiss the profiler should have known was a dangerous thing to enter into. But, he tried to reconcile to himself, he didn't know the full situation. There were obviously many things that had happened over the last few days that he had no understanding about, couldn't conceive of. If what Claudia Hawkner had gone through had happened to Emily…well, his subconscious had already played out that nightmare over and over again.

Reid studied the minutiae of expression radiating from Emily. It was unlike anything he had perceived before. All of the expressions, mannerisms and looks were miles apart from the Emily he knew. It was like looking at her twin, separated at birth, a sister who had grown up under different circumstances and had none of Emily's personality. Reid knew how this kind of experience could make you question everything about yourself and the things and people in your life. He had questioned everything pertaining to his life when he had escaped from Henkel. He had delved into opiates, had swinging emotions that he made no attempt to control or understand. He hadn't cared at all for anyone's opinion of him, or even tried to befriend Emily when she had first arrived. But she was the only one, aside from Gideon, who had refused to accept his behaviour, and ever since, she was the only one he truly trusted now to tell him the unvarnished truth. She always told the truth to him, sometimes she shielded him from harsher aspects, but she was like his own personal watchdog. She watched, protected and pushed him to become the better person, the person with the potential she believed was still hidden somewhere inside of him.

**Well, we're finally getting closer...**

**Would you believe that in (I think it's two or three chapters) you'll finally be able to read the image that started this whole story off?**

**Arc, please review if you feel up to it :)**


	24. Chapter 24

**Be blessed with the reading :)**

Perspective and Truth.

They were finally and officially married! Prince/Tobey couldn't believe his fortune. After all this time, all this effort, all this pain and loss and the futility that had accompanied his search, it was finished. He had found his wonderful Snow White, and they were married. He moved in for the consummating kiss.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

He was about to kiss her, she saw the intention in his eyes, they were going to seal the deal, so to speak, for the marriage. She wanted to lean in closer to him, to make it easier, to let her body relax and meld into his shape. But some aspect of herself resisted. She only had a moment of a second to ponder this strange development before it was too late and Prince had travelled the extra distance to meet her. One arm raised in half an embrace, she grasped his elbow pulling herself closer to him.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

_What the hell was she doing?_

The thought reverberated through every member of the BAU team.

_Allowing the UnSub to think she wanted him? _

Agent Prentiss' rescuers moved closer still to the clearing, carefully avoided frozen branches and twigs that might snap and alert the UnSub to their presence. They were at the optimum point to begin their rescue. _But would Agent Prentiss come willingly to their side, or had she suffered some extreme break, perhaps an exceptionally quick descent into Stockholm syndrome? Had the UnSub drugged her beyond normal comprehension? What had happened to make a qualified, seasoned agent such as Emily Prentiss act in this manner?_

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

With a lightening strike of clarity, Emily Prentiss' consciousness snapped back into the forefront of her compartmentalized psyche. Snow White dropped back into the white noise of her brain, and the profiler noticed the developments throughout the area. She saw Morgan and Reid, Rossi and Hotch, three figures in formfitting snow jackets to the east, two more to the west and she assumed there would be a couple more rounding their way to the north. It was a classic manoeuvre outlined at the Academy. Emily had always referred to this movement secretly as the 'bubble'. The 'bubble' would be put into place in an outdoors environment, if you had enough man-power, and the UnSub or Target had been deemed worthy of this expenditure of effort, the 'bubble' effectively surrounded the Target. The Target then having been trapped could only allow the manoeuvre to go one of two ways.

Fight or flight.

Fight meant that at least one of the surrounding team members would have a clear shot and the opportunity and purpose to use it. Flight meant no matter which way the Target went; a team member was in the vicinity to capture and arrest. Emily had always thought the 'bubble' was a beautiful concept, kind of like the panopticon (the perfect jail). She noticed, for the first time since the morning when she had woken up next to the corpse, that is was cold. She noticed the bitter, biting frozen climate. She weighed up her options…revert back to Snow White and feel happy, giddy, no biting cold eating her skin and the perfect safety of her Prince, or stay as Emily Prentiss, fully know and understand the danger she was in, the ability to stay alert and ready to help out her team wherever and whenever possible, feel every whisper of the icy wind, the wintry slush between her toes, surrounding and numbing her feet and skin. She chose the latter.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

Hotch froze, _was Emily looking right at him?_ He shot a quick glance toward Rossi. Rossi nodded. They shared a moment of stunned incredulity. _Was Emily really that good at compartmentalizing?_ Hotch didn't want to think too far along that road of thought. They needed to be synchronized. In one fluid movement, at the right cue, one they had pre-chosen (a short burst of static from their radios), everyone would start walking toward the UnSub. Whoever drew his attention would try to keep it, and the others would advance toward Emily and by extension the UnSub. Eventually, whichever came first, they would have Emily back and Tobey O'Conner in custody. The only problem was that Tobey and Emily were in almost the exact centre of the clearing, and each individual law enforcement officer, whether Police or FBI, were about twenty-five yards from the centre. It would take time to get to the middle, time they might not have if the UnSub had some sort of weapon .

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

Tobey O'Conner was oblivious to the developments within the surrounding forest. All of his attention was on his beautiful bride. He wanted to consummate their marriage properly and with a shining spark of inspiration realised that there would be no better place to do it than here. The sacred clearing, where their marriage had begun, surrounded by the snow and the sun. It was as perfect as their union, and his Snow White would surely understand. In a movement that was as fluid and graceful as it was startling and disturbing, Tobey unlatched the buckle of his belt and pulled it clear out of his trouser loopholes. With the other hand he moved to undo his zipper. But upon looking at his beautiful bride he saw no happy expectation only a well covered look of surprise and a small degree of apprehension. His expression darkened, she had promised to be his wife, she could not change her mind now.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

Emily realised too late her mistake. One unthinking facial movement had ruined all the work she had done for the past three days. She bit the inside of her lip and hoped she could control the rest of her features.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

He faltered, she was looking at him serenely. _Where had that look gone?_ _It had just been there, he was sure of it_. He shook his head slightly, perhaps he had been imagining it. He had spent so many years trying to find the perfect woman only to be disappointed every time, was it any wonder that he kept seeing their imperfections in Snow White. _He must not punish Snow for their iniquities_.

**There we go...what do you all think?**

**Arc**


	25. Chapter 25

**Here is the next installment! This is the scene I saw that started this whole epic story. I'm rather please I finally got here :)**

Burst Bubble.

Morgan gripped the tree trunk viciously. He was in the perfect line of sight. Emily's back was toward him and he had an eye on the Tobey O'Conner's face. The lust and intention plainly written. They had to do something NOW.

Reid watched as Tobey moved toward Emily. Her left foot rose a few centimeters off the ground, he presumed in an attempt to move slightly backwards. But it soon landed back on the ground, in exactly the same place. She seemed to be plagued by indecision. They needed to advance now, but protocol demanded they wait for Hotch's signal.

Rossi's hand moved to his radio. His fingers desperately itched to blast the static signal to the troops. He wanted them to thunder in, to rescue Emily. Tobey O'Conner's hand caressed her shoulder and Rossi knew if in the next few seconds Hotch didn't give the command, he would do it for him. FBI regulations be damned. Emily had been through enough already.

Hotch knew that something had changed in Emily's relationship with the UnSub, he could see it in her demeanor. Something very dangerous was playing out before them, he didn't want to make it worse. If Tobey was unstable, he could take Emily down with him. Hotch was racked with indecision, he hated it. He needed to make a decision NOW.

Tobey leaned in close to her ear and whispered (probably in what he thought was a seductive manner) "It's time my love, we will be joined together in this clearing."

Instinctively she looked toward the trees, if she refused this, he would become violent like he had before, only this time she would not be able to delay him with promises of marriage. Everything was basically, according to his beliefs, completely right. There was nothing to keep them from being together.

Tobey thought it was intensely cute the way she turned her head to make decisions. He loved how serene she was in this clearing. They would have to come here more often. He reached for her body, to turn her to him, so that their bodies were aligned. _The bitch moved away from him_.

Hotch was sure. Emily had just given the 'go-ahead' signal. A ring of static swept through around the clearing. The FBI and Police set off, abandoning their hiding places in the woods.

"No, Tobey. I want to go back to the house."

"Why, here is perfect. It's everything we ever wanted." He watched her face change from the woman he knew and loved into the woman of his nightmares. The evil woman who spurned his desires, who mocked him and refused to acknowledge his royalty. He lashed out immediately. Smacking her across the face with a flat palm. She stumbled a little, he remembered she hadn't eaten in a while.

"Please Prince, I've never done this before. Are we supposed to be outside?" Her voice had taken on the lilting quality he loved about her, but know he wasn't so sure. Ariel and Cady had had this quality too. He would see love and acceptance one moment and hatred the next. But there was no hatred from Snow White. He grabbed her roughly to him, kissed her severely and pushed her away again. _There were too many conflicting emotions within him_.

"The others used to do this too, I need to be sure of who you are." She looked up at him from the frozen ground. There was no fear or recrimination, only calmness. She stood, with a little bit of a wobble.

"I'm here now, because you deserve this." Her voice was steady and serene.

"I'm not like the others." She added. Emily was astounded at the steadiness in her voice. She, herself. Snow White was not present, yet she was conversing with this man as if she cared about him. It was strange and disturbing. Perhaps it was because she felt safe, her team was approaching and by some weird luck Tobey had yet to notice them. They couldn't be more than ten feet away now, to bad they couldn't run for her. She could see how the conflicting beliefs were causing him to become enraged. She was standing now. Wary of him, but hiding it. She felt the change in him, more than saw it.

"Just to be sure," he replied.

A quick movement of his hand, a snap. Something of leather and brass hitting flesh. Her reflexes were dulled by the cold, the lack of food and an utter exhaustion she hadn't realized she had. She staggered.

"I'm going back to the house." She turned and started walking. Snow White was pushing her to return the house and Emily really couldn't think of any reason not to.

"Quite right." He replied. She had proven herself to him, she hadn't screamed or run away from him. She had accepted him in all of his entirety. There she was blithely walking back to his house, their house. Married, beautiful, in love with him, bleeding, bruised and totally accepting of him. He had never been more happy, more blissful, or more turned on in his life. Snow White was truly the most perfect woman he had ever met. Suddenly there were men in the clearing. _Where had they come from?_ Lots and lots of men, they must not go near Snow White. They would try to taint her with their impurity.

"Don't Move!"

"Put your hands up!"

"Drop the belt!"

"Freeze!"

A multitude of commands came at him from multiple directions. All he could think of was Snow White and that man that was approaching her. _He must not let another man touch his untainted Snow White!_

Emily was still walking, ignoring the shouts and commands behind her. She just wanted to get as far away from him as possible. She understood that someone was close to her, walking toward her, but she had no energy to look around. She could only focus on one thing. Getting back to the house, her room. At least she understood the rules in that room. Everything was clear. She knew who she was there, what her purpose was.

"Emily…Em…Yo, Prentiss." Morgan's voice called out after her.

She continued on oblivious.

He reached out his hand, grabbed her elbow and walked around to see her face. "You okay?"

Tobey O'Conner went ballistic.

**So...reviews are golden ;)**

**Arc**


	26. Chapter 26

_Where does the white go when the snow melts?_

_Anonymous_

Mixing and Joining.

Tobey charged at the dark man holding his woman. He ranted and raved, pulling the three Police officers off-balance as he struggled to get closer to Snow White.

"Stop, please." Emily's voice rang clear over the noise.

Everyone stilled, even Tobey O'Conner.

"Get away from him." He snarled. More so at the man than at Snow. She moved away from the man a little, the man's confused features bolstered Tobey's confidence in the love Snow White had for him.

"I have to leave now." She told him, calm and serene.

"No, you're mine. We'll be together always." He began to struggle against the men again.

"I'm sick, Tobey."

"No!" he replied indignantly.

"I have to go to the hospital."

"When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?" The genuine concern in his voice shocked Morgan, shocked most of the men in the clearing actually.

_Could he really not see the mottled bruises lacing Emily's neck, the raw mess around her right ankle. Could this man truly not see the damaged he had inflicted to her leg, when he had so viciously attacked her with the belt and buckle?_

"You wanted to be married." She answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Tobey nodded, of course she would put his happiness above her own needs. At that she turned around again, she tried to walk back to their house.

Morgan was staring at her incredulously. _How had she managed to calm him with so little effort? Her words had stopped him when three fully grown men could not_. Because he had been staring at her, he was the only one to see her wilt, like a flower ending its attempt to stay upright in a vase, then fall. He had seen the blank look enter her eyes. He managed to catch her, before she hit the ground but after she had lost consciousness.

"Morgan!" Hotch yelled as he raced toward them. To his fallen colleague. To Emily. His feet skidded through the snow, pushing little walls of frozen water to the sky. He dropped to one knee and cradled her face, checking her pulse.

Morgan couldn't move he was still grasping Emily around her waist, holding her as upright as he could. He was bent over, her legs had pretty much fallen straight out from under her. He had wanted to check for her pulse but he also didn't want to let her body touch the snow, she was already freezing to the touch. He was relieved when Hotch had arrived, seen the small nod signify life.

Rossi had one hand on Tobey O'Conner's shoulder the other grasping the gun still sheathed in it's holder. He was watching Emily though. Making sure she was alright, Hotch nodded. She was breathing. His grip tightened on Tobey's shoulder, "Come on, you're under arrest for the abduction of two women."

"Is that all?" Asked one of the other Police Officers, with a look close to murderous rage.

"For now."

They had flown Emily by Emergency Flight Helicopter to the nearest Hospital, it ended up being the same one Claudia Hawkner was in, St. Agnes'. There was no immediate danger regarding blood loss or extensive physical damage – life-threatening damage but hypothermia was a very real risk, and the hospital was deemed the safest place for her. They had escorted Tobey O'Conner to the Station in one of the SUV's, everyone vying for the opportunity _not_ to be in the same car as _the crazy_. As one particular Officer had said a little too loudly for Hotch's taste.

Roughly three hours later, Tobey O'Conner was sitting in the interrogation room. Silently and unmoving. Morgan was tiring of his stillness and the silence. He wanted nothing more than to break this guy's nose, then his arm, then his right arm, then his leg, then his toes. _No wait, on second thoughts, start with the toes and work my way inwards toward the body_. He glanced toward the mirror, he wanted out. He hadn't even been to the hospital yet to check on Emily. It didn't matter that she was awake yet, he just wanted to be there for her. Penelope and JJ had immediately left the building and arrived at the Hospital just in time to see the helicopter setting down, and the unconscious Emily moved inside. Hotch had ordered Rossi and himself to accompany Tobey to the station to start the interrogation as soon as they arrived. They needed every detail they could get. There were still bodies to be found. And that was the only reason Tobey O'Conner wasn't sitting in this room, right now, with a lot of blood escaping him.

Hotch had ordered Reid to accompany Emily in the helicopter. He desperately wanted to go with her himself, but he still had a job to do. He left two Police Officers in the clearing to gather and/or protect evidence, and took the remaining three to the house. The O'Conner house, to search it for evidence and the place Emily must have been kept in. About two hours in, Sheriff Coulter approached him and in a round-about way implied that he was free to leave the house, to check up on Agent Prentiss. Hotch took it without question and barely a congenial smile. The house was completely normal, no signs of a holding place, only slight scratches on the floor and some around corners of doorways. There were more of them in one particular room, and specifically on one side of that room. Hotch sighed wearily, as he reviewed what they had found in the house, on his way to the hospital. _He was going to have to make Emily return to that house_.

Reid handed a Styrofoam cup filled with bitter and slightly sludgy coffee to JJ. She hadn't stopped crying since she'd first seen Emily. He had to admit, the bruising did look bad, the blood hadn't helped the situation either. But that didn't explain the almost co-dependent state JJ was displaying. After a short conversation with Penelope, Reid had decided JJ's emotions were simply letting themselves out. Her guilt and misplaced sense of responsibility were finally dissipating. After Emily had been cleaned up and settled in one of the rooms, they had been allowed to come in. But only three at a time. Thankfully at that point Morgan, Rossi and Hotch were still outside the hospital finishing up on the loose ends of the case. Later though, all three had turned up. The whole team had been rotating in and out of that room like the working entertainment parts of a giant morbid Glockenspiel clock.

**Sorry, if it seems short, but I'm trying my hardest to get this all out.**

**And hey, :) Emily's been saved... yay!**

**Arc**


	27. Chapter 27

**This is the part where Emily wakes up... yay!  
**

Remedies and Hospitals

The team talked quietly in the hallway of the hospital. JJ had refused to leave Emily's side and even Penelope hadn't been able to prod and cajole her into leaving.

"Tobey O'Conner is not talking." Morgan stated, frustration seeping out through his body language and tone of voice.

"Did he say anything at all?" Reid inquired.

"One sentence, as soon as we put him in the room." Morgan replied.

"I will only talk to Snow White." Rossi said.

"And he's not said anything since?" Garcia asked. Morgan and Rossi both shook their heads, once but emphatically.

"There was nothing at the house. The police team still hasn't found where he could have been holding her. We even looked through Claudia Hawkner's statement again; we just can't find the room she was held in." Hotch looked into Emily's room, "we need her to wake up."

The team all looked toward Emily. A thick silence covered them, their joy at her return snuffed out by the fact that she still hadn't woken up. She had intravenous tubes rehydrating her and giving her the nutrients that had been depleted by the lack of food and adequate water supplies. The doctors determining she probably hadn't been given any food for the days she was held hostage. She wasn't suffering from the same state of exposure as Claudia though, so they expected her to wake up soon. The doctors had wanted to perform tests to determine if sexual abuse was a factor, but JJ had flat out refused that as an option. She wanted Emily to be awake, to tell them herself. The team hadn't the heart to argue with her, they were all aware…there was little chance Emily hadn't been raped. The profile was explicit about that aspect of Tobey's pathology.

Her eyes felt tired, and heavy, the felt like great, big, massive, humongous pillows were wrapped up and tied to her eye lashes pulling the lids down, fastening them to her cheeks. She steadied her breathing and made sure she couldn't feel any presence in the room. Tensing, she realized she could feel one, very near to her bed.

_Had she just imagined that?_ JJ moved with a start. She'd been crying quietly, trying to stop the tears that had refused to cease since Emily had arrived. Since she'd known everything was going to be okay, at least psychically. _Had Emily's body just moved?_

"Emily?" she said tentatively.

One eye opened. The other slightly behind that.

"Jayje?" The croaky voice inquired.

JJ launched herself at Emily's body. Hugging and sobbing on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She repeated. She kept going until she felt Emily's hand move off the bed and onto her shoulder.

Emily had figured out that she was in hospital, the rest of the team was in the hallway having a discussion, _why was JJ here by herself?_ When JJ had practically jumped on her and broken down, Emily was in a state of shock. Her mind was quickly piecing together the events of the past few days, and eventually she remembered everything.

"Hey, hey. Look at me." She whispered slightly louder to overcome JJ's sobs. She used her hand to push the pregnant woman off her body, she felt twinges on her sides and neck but ignored them in favor of removing JJ.

"Emily, I'm so sorry. I never meant-" JJ's apologies were cut off by the arrival of the team.

"Emily!" Penelope exclaimed as she charged into the room, past JJ and proceeded to smother Emily a second time. Emily giggled on the inside but the emotions never surfaced.

_She thought that odd_.

"Hey girl, look at you." Morgan smiled, easing back into their usual joking camaraderie. Her eyes met his but the usual spark was missing. He felt empty at his attempted exchange.

"What happened?" She asked.

Worried glances flew around the room.

"You don't remember?" Rossi asked.

"After I collapsed, what happened?"

"Oh honey, you don't need to talk about that now, you just woke up." Garcia interrupted, she wanted her Emily to be fully recovered before dredging this crap up again.

"No, I need to know…what happened." She started to fidget and move about the bed, it almost looked like she wanted to get off the bed.

"We took Tobey O'Conner into custody. He's at the station now. But he's not talking." Rossi answered her question, but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why she seemed so worried. They would never have let him go.

Silence again, there were no signs of animation to her. The Emily they all knew seemed to be slipping away from them. Her usual smiles and looks were missing, her vibrancy and life were gone. JJ stroked her palms, trying to convey attachment and instil a connection to the friend she felt so much responsibility for.

Hotch was worried. The Emily he knew wasn't like this immediately after major events, she did somewhat retreat into herself, when the emotional aspect of a case was weighing heavily on her, but only after the case had been fully closed.

"Prentiss," he began moving into the safe world of managerial hierarchy, "we searched the house and we couldn't find the room he held you in. Where was it?"

"Upstairs, sir." She answered, using his 'work' prompt as a means to right herself, to find the persona she needed to answer their questions.

"There's an upstairs?"

"Yes, sir."

He wished she would stop calling him sir, he hated when she did that. It only reminded him of the limitations on their relationship.

"We never found an upstairs. Is it an attic of some kind?"

"Yes, sir. There is a staircase, dark, no lights. It descends to the ground floor and opens out into the larger room, the one with the fireplace. There's another fireplace in the upstairs room." She added that piece of information as if she had just realized it.

"Is there a door? In the larger room?" Hotch was sitting on the bed now, using her total concentration, focusing her on him. Part of him thrilled at the complete attention, most of him though, intent on the job.

"The upstairs room has a door. It locks. Every time I went down stairs it was open. I mean…there's no door in the bigger room. Not that I saw." She looked a little bewildered. Suddenly, everything he associated with Emily Prentiss fell away.

"Emily." Hotch called, trying to catch her attention again. She didn't respond.

"Agent Prentiss?"

Nothing.

"Emily Prentiss?"

Still nothing.

"Snow White?" he asked tentatively.

She responded immediately, her whole demeanor changed. She softened, seemed not to notice the pain, the bruises or the bandages that pinched and pulled at her thigh and ankle as she moved on the bed. She didn't seem to remember the areas of her wounds, her neck, her thigh, and the small crack at the back of her skull. She seemed slightly high, drugged out on morphine, or some other very strong pain killer. Not that she had been given any drugs, at least not by the hospital.

"Were you the only person in the house, besides Tobey O'Conner?"

"Yes…if you don't count Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella." Then she smiled. For once in their entire history of knowing Emily Prentiss; the team were disturbed by it.

**Okay, I'm evil I know, but really everything does have a purpose...**

**Please review if you're feeling up to it, I always appreciate it**

**Arc**


	28. Chapter 28

**Hope you all enjoy this next chapter.**

Two in One.

They were huddled outside her hospital room again. This time though, they were profiling one of their own.

"What's happened to her?" Morgan asked, more out-loud than to anyone in particular.

"It's like she's two different people." Garcia added. Her eyes straying back into the room, watching Emily and the hovering JJ.

"I think she is." Hotch replied.

"She had to become Snow White to survive there." Reid added.

"But why would she do that, she knew we were coming for her?" Garcia said.

"She knew the risks. She knew it would take us time to find her, time she didn't have if she remained Emily." Morgan said, finally starting to understand what Emily had been thinking.

Silence reigned again.

"Can we use her to get to Tobey?" Rossi asked. His eyes watching Emily like a sentinel overseeing his charge.

"We can." Hotch answered, "I just don't know if we should."

"We should let her decide." Reid knew how strong Emily really was, at least he hoped he knew. Since coming to the BAU she had never blinked, never flinched, never had a major breakdown like he had. She seemed to fit into the place like Hotch did, like Gideon had.

"Which her?" Came the question from Morgan.

"All of her." Reid replied.

"Emily, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. If only I had been awake, none of this would have ever happened. Please tell me you forgive me, or at least that one day you can or maybe you will." JJ's tears were still coming. She needed to know that their relationship one day would be okay again.

Emily merely looked back at her quizzically. She tilted her head, crown to the left, chin to the right.

"Who are you?"

"It's me JJ."

"Was Tobey following you first, before he saw me?" The warmth with which she said the bastard's name sent shivers along JJ's back.

"I don't know." She answered truthfully, sadly. If that were true then it really would be all her fault.

"You look like them you know."

"Like who?"

"Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella."

"Who are they?"

"My near-sisters…Tobey says--" Emily was cut-off from finishing her sentence as the rest of the team re-entered the room.

"What does Tobey say?" Rossi asked her gently.

"Tobey says…he says" She frowned. Her forehead wrinkled in an expression of pain.

"What does he say?" Rossi repeated. A couple of seconds of confused silence reigned.

"Dave?" She asked.

"Emily." He answered.

"Did I…I mean, was I just. Oh this is going to sound crazy." She pressed her fingertips to her forehead, and laid her palm on her cheek. Her thumb grazed under her chin and she winced.

"Damn-it!" she exclaimed. "I forgot." Quizzical looks faced her and she explained by waving at the dark bruises covering her throat.

"Were you going to ask if you were just Snow White?" Reid asked her.

She smiled slightly. "Yeah." She turned her head to the wall, thinking. "It was easier. In the beginning. I could separate myself from pretending to be her, but I wasn't just pretending. I think I ended up being...but…I lost it."

"Lost what Emily?" Reid asked, moving in closer to her. They'd had plenty of in-depth conversations about what it was to need, to crave, what if felt like to be drowning in loneliness, the difficultness of family and every other thing that Spencer had been struggling with. It helped to have her around to bounce these questions off without anyone poking fun at him for his social ineptitudes. She certainly made joking, teasing fun of him in larger groups, helping him to join social gatherings. But in private when he was bearing his innermost being and his private nature, she never made fun of him. She accepted all of him, he did the same for her.

"I lost…the division."

"The division?"

"The line, between what was me and what was her."

"But she's not real." Morgan said, a look of incredulity on his face.

"I made her real." Emily answered indignantly.

"But you're you, you're not her." He replied.

"Yes I am."

"You can't be Em. You just can't."

"I'm both Derek."

"You do not have a split-personality. You're not like Henkel." Morgan had leaned close into her bed now too. JJ was on one side, hovering near her head, Reid was on the same side as JJ but by her feet, and now Morgan was hovering in close to her as well. Too close. They were all too close.

"No I'm not. But I do know what I am. I made Snow White. I made her from pieces of myself, and stories and what he wanted. And now I don't know how to put her back. She helped me to survive…she saved me." Emily's voice had risen as she explained Snow White. The nearest nurse had arrived to see what all the fuss was. It was never a good sign when the patient started to yell at their visitors.

"No, Emily." Hotch answered, "you saved yourself."

"No, I didn't. At least I wouldn't have. I would have fought. I wouldn't have considered it a possibility."

"Considered what?" Rossi asked.

"Stop!"

Everyone looked in surprise. It was the first word Garcia had spoken since they had returned to the room.

"Emily needs her rest."

"You're right." Agreed Hotch rather reluctantly, "We'll be back in a couple of hours to question you properly."

Emily just nodded.

She managed to fall asleep quickly. Tiredness leaching through her bones, weighing her down and eventually there was nothing but black.

"What was that about?" Morgan railed out in the corridor.

"She needs to recuperate before we do anymore questioning." Hotch replied.

"Are you going to let her talk to Tobey?" Garcia inquired.

"We have to." Rossi answered. "He's already stated that he won't talk to anyone else. And he's true to his word, he hasn't spoken since, he hasn't communicated in any form. Perhaps…perhaps it will help her reconnect, to herself, to talk to him."

"I don't know." Morgan said.

"This is Emily. She's strong. She's already survived this, I'm sure she'll be fine to question him." Reid stated. At least, she would be, once he'd gotten some time alone with her to make sure that Snow White wasn't going to be interfering with his friend.

**I love the relationship between Reid and Emily, she's always taking care of him...**

**What do you guys think?**

**Arc**


	29. Chapter 29

**We're are getting closer to the end of this story, I swear :)**

It Takes Two.

She was being choked.

Large hands were tightening around her throat, pressure upon her body so that she couldn't move.

Two withered cadavers laughed maniacally in the background. Screaming and pointing their elongated grey fingers at her. Their twisted and browned nails wriggling and curling in the darkened house. The attic room. Barring her from a comfortable sleeping place or nearing any warmth. Their deadened silvery hair wrapping tightly around her neck too. With each moment passing, hands and ropes of hair tightened, tightened and choked her. Stopped her from breathing, took away her will to live, her will to fight. She was losing the battle for dominance. Snow White was coming into the forefront.

_I can help, I can stop this_.

**No, this is not happening to me, not now.**

_We have to wait_. _This should not be happening yet_.

**Yes, stall him. But how?**

_I know how…trust me_.

"Married…we must be married!" She screamed in her head. But was it Emily or Snow White who had had that idea. _She didn't know, she didn't care…it had worked!_ The hands and the demon-hair picked her up and snapped her back to the ground. She felt a dull ache spreading around the back of her head. Snapping noises, rages, glass and wood and wax fell about the room, but she couldn't see. Black was seeping into her vision. The corpses and the hands, they left her for a while…but the terror remained.

She woke up in terror. Gasping for breath, pulling at the sheets tucked up under her chin. They felt constricting and suffocating. The memories poured into her mind, spread through all of her defensive walls. But it helped, in a strange way. She could see the line again. The one that divided Snow White from Emily. She wanted to be Emily. She understood that Emily had the priority. Snow White was not to be permanent, but she would be here for a while yet. They had unfinished business, the woman and the prince.

"Emily?" Hotch grabbed at her hand. He felt the urge to smooth back her tousled hair, but resisted. If she were Snow White, she wouldn't appreciate it, and if she were Emily…she still might not.

"Hotch," she sighed. "Bad dream."

"Memory or construction?" It was always easier to talk about things if you distanced yourself from it.

"Both…I think."

"Both?" He wanted her to talk, since he'd ordered everyone to back off and let her rest, they had been watching over her in self-appointed shifts. He'd only relieved Morgan fifteen minutes ago. But if she wasn't up to talking, he really didn't want to push her.

"I need to talk to Tobey." She wasn't looking at him, but at least she seemed in control of herself. She wasn't fidgeting.

"I know. We need you; to find the other bodies…"

Emily nodded, somehow she knew it would come down to her. She'd had to save herself from Tobey in the large room; nobody had helped her then, except Snow White. But Snow White was a part of herself, so essentially she really had been saving herself. And out there in that snow-filled clearing, nobody had really helped her except herself. When she had walked away from Tobey, intent on going back to the house, she knew he would have let her. She shuddered. She didn't want to think about what would have had to happen when they both returned to the house.

Hotch helped Emily get discharged from the hospital. There were no serious injuries from her time with Tobey O'Conner. It had occurred to him that they still hadn't found out if she'd been sexually assaulted. Hotch had just assumed that if she had she would have already informed the consulting doctor and had all the necessary tests. He wanted to ask. To make sure she was okay. But he didn't want to know. Could he handle that information? Could he truly live with the fact that one of his team had been assaulted _that way_ when they should have been safe?

He had noticed that JJ and Garcia seemed to be struggling with approaching Emily too. JJ couldn't get within ten feet of her without breaking down in tears and sobs. Garcia flitted about like she usually did, but there was an element of unease. A second-guessing of herself that Hotch hadn't seen since the third month she'd joined the BAU as their primary technical analyst.

Reid seemed the least affected by Emily's abduction. But perhaps he was biding his time, or occupying his time with machinations within his own mind, possibly working out the best way the approach the subject. Who truly knew what went on in Reid's mind.

Morgan couldn't stand it any longer. No matter how painful the information might be, he needed to know. Thankfully, Emily was awake when he entered her hotel room.

"Hey girl." He started.

"Morgan." She answered. He wasn't quite sure who he was talking to though. He'd done it before, started talking to Emily and a few minutes in realized it wasn't her looking at him. That it was Snow White, it was disconcerting…she was disconcerting. He didn't like talking to Snow White. She was…pliable, weak in a 'follow-the-leader' way. She was like a submissive puppy, the lowest dog in the pack. If you had your 'Alpha-dog', then Snow White was your 'Omega-dog'. The last. If he thought about it for too long, the 'perfectness' of her freaked him out. He enjoyed women who had spirit and personality. He never wanted to get sucked into a cookie-cutter relationship - at home with the cleavers-type family. He wanted fiery temper, laughs, intelligent kookiness…he wanted a different woman everyday. His perfect woman was going to be hard to find, but he wasn't ready to find her yet. He just didn't want anyone destroying the women in his life who could potentially be that girl. Garcia, Prentiss, even JJ had that undercurrent of kookiness in her.

"I wanted to ask you about what happened with Tobey. When you were on his property." He didn't want to look her in the eye, but he had to. This was one of his closest friends. He could take whatever she could handle, whatever she had gone through he would be able to look her in the eye and handle it too. He forced himself to look at her.

Her head was slightly tilted, he knew that was a mannerism of Snow White, his eyes squinted, "I want to talk to Emily."

She blinked slowly; it seemed as if her whole body was thinking one single thought.

"Derek." Her whole body seemed to relax. "What did you want to know…exactly?"

"We know from the first two bodies that he assaulted them, and we also know that, from Claudia Hawkner; she's the previous victim. We know that, well, we know that he…" _Argh!_ His mind shouted in frustration. _Why was this so hard to say?_

Emily smiled slowly, a small smirk at the corner of her mouth. "Raped her?" She didn't find the situation amusing, but she did find Morgan's attitude to questioning her about it funny. She had rarely seen him so flustered. Besides, Snow White's voice was in the back of her head indignant at the thought that Tobey (her prince) would ever do anything to the women that they hadn't wanted, liked or needed. She quickly told her to be quiet. She needed to find the situation with Snow White humorous otherwise, she was going to go insane.

Morgan stared at her in shock. _How could she be so blasé about it?_ "Did he, were you…" He couldn't finish the question.

"He tried. But no, I wasn't raped. Snow White stopped him." She was content, he realised. There was no horror at what she had been through, no shock, no trauma. _Was she compartmentalizing again?_

**I'm pretty sure the next chapter is a Reid/Emily based one...I hope. **

**Who really knows, these characters just do want they want. I seriously never thought this fic was going to be this long, but oh well, what I am really going to do about it...stop writing? I think not. **

**;) Arc**


	30. Chapter 30

**As promised, my Emily-Reid conversation! Yay!**

Two for a Conversation.

Morgan quickly and efficiently spread the word. Emily had not been subjected to the traditional second night with the UnSub. Everyone was significantly relieved.

The team had been hovering around Emily's hotel room since Hotch had got her discharged from the hospital. They rarely went into her room though, there seemed to be an unspoken consensus that when Emily ventured out of that room, that it would be time to confront Tobey O'Conner. And no one was interested in rushing that meeting. No one except Snow White.

The team didn't speak, almost ten hours had passed and no one was interested in doing anything or talking about anything, or even distracting themselves from the obvious. They hung around the hotel like silent wraiths, spreading unease and discontent throughout the lobby. Even the passing Police Officers who came to check up on Agent Prentiss were affected by the gloominess that had descended upon them. Everyone knew that she was going to have to talk to Tobey to get the information they needed to recover the bodies of the missing women and nobody truly wanted her to. Garcia had uploaded a digital schematic of O'Conner's house into her laptop, and had asked Emily to point out where the attic room was and how to get to it from the large room. Emily had tried to remember but everything was slightly foggy. The adrenaline in her system from those few times she was allowed out of the attic room, had been focused more on survival and being perfect than observing the physical room. There wasn't much information she could remember about it. Add in the fact that the one time she had been in the large room for an extended period of time, was the second night, when she had fought to preserve herself, and that was majorly due to Snow White taking control. And Snow White was not a profiler.

Reid had had enough. He had wanted to talk with Emily, alone, since they'd rescued her in the clearing. He entered her room, knocking clearly on the door.

"Reid." She seemed delighted to see him. "I was hoping you would come to see me."

"We need to talk."

"We do."

"I want to talk about Snow White." He reclasped his hands as he sat down on the edge of her bed.

"About or to?" She smiled, a secret Mona Lisa smile. One that, at any other time, he would have thought meant she was teasing him.

"About, to start with." Reid wasn't as frightened of the 'Snow White' development as the others. He recognized it as a survival technique. Any new parts of Emily had to stem from a place that actually existed in her. She was an Ambassador's daughter, so there were similarities in the subservient nature of Snow White. Anyone who grew up in that politicized world would have to be able to hide their true feelings and bend to the conventions that were required.

"What do you want to know?"

"One thing really." He paused, she was looking at him intently, familiarly, he felt the connection between them, "Is she going to be a problem?"

"Right now, or in the future?"

She was playing with him now, he was sure of it. She was teasing him to put him, and probably herself at ease. She was trying to find the familiar balance they shared in their relationship. He realized it must be very awkward for her, used to the team dynamics being a certain way, and now this. Everyone was treating her differently, even when she was being Emily Prentiss they were treating her with kid gloves. Like, at any moment Snow White could burst out and destroy the delicate balance they perceived as separating Emily from sanity and insanity.

Reid smiled back at her, he was relaxing into the conversation. "I'm more worried about you in the future."

"I'll be fine." She answered.

"Fine like I was, or fine like I am now?"

Emily knew immediately what he was talking about. _Fine_, as in the state she had first met Spencer Reid, strung out in the throes of a drug addiction, or _fine_, as in the state he was now. Admitting he had a problem and working like crazy to overcome it with the support of his friends…and succeeding.

"Fine like…" she paused, searching for the right way to explain what she was feeling, "like…when all this is finished with, when Tobey is finished with and Snow White can say goodbye, I'll be fine like you are now, probably better." She added that bit with a contrite grimace.

"Until then?"

"Until then…I'll be sharing."

"With Snow White?" he asked, just to be sure.

"I'm going to need her to get the information we want from Tobey. I won't be able to do it."

Reid looked incredulous at that, there wasn't anything that Emily couldn't do. Her situation was more serious than her had first anticipated.

"How much did you rely on Snow White?"

"Enough." She wasn't looking at him anymore. Never a good sign. It meant she was keeping something from him. She nearly always looked him directly in the eyes, it was her way of saying '_I'm not hiding anything, I'm trusting you with the truth, with everything_.'

"Em." She looked up at him, "How much?"

She breathed in and paused, "Too much. Too much to just let go."

Confused Reid added, "Let go?"

"Too much for _her_ to just let go, and…I owe her." _This is not making any sense_ she acknowledged to herself. To Snow White.

"She's you Emily."

"She deserves this time. Time I have, to give her. Do you understand?"

Reid knew she would not be this vulnerable with the others on the team. This was a conversation for him and him alone. They had worked long and hard to have this kind of vulnerability, this kind of intimacy.

"I understand that she is a part of you, and that she did the things that you couldn't bring yourself to do. But she is still you, I will never stop believing that."

"But do you understand that I owe her this. She deserves this." She looked at him earnestly.

"If this is want you want and need, then… I'll back you up, but I can't pretend that I understand why you can't just let her go."

Shaking her head, she replied, "We made a deal."

"You and Snow White?"

She nodded, "I get the rest of our life, she gets to say goodbye."

"To Tobey?"

"I created her Reid, and I can't just kill her without giving her a last request."

"But Emily, she's a creation inside you, she's just an aspect of your personality. There won't be any death for her."

"If death means simply, a ceasing to exist, then yes. Effectively, Snow White is going to die."

"Em, she's you. At least she's different parts of you."

"I'm not like this, Reid. I'm not like her."

"But you could be, and that's the point isn't it? You could have been her, if certain things in your past had been different or you had reacted in a different way. You could be the very person that Snow White is." It was clear to Reid that Emily had thought these things too.

She didn't answer, she didn't need to. Reid knew she thought the same way he did. That's why she was struggling to, in effect, kill Snow White. She was recognising the intrinsic sameness that permeated them both. Emily knew very well that Snow White was herself.

**I swear, one of these days Emily will end up talking to the UnSub and all will be revealed.**

**I absolutely promise that this story had an ending!**

**Please review, Arc :D**


	31. Chapter 31

**I tried to update yesterday, but the site was undergoing construction or updating or renewal, or some other type of internet-y thing. So blame the site and not me for the lack of updating. It wasn't my fault!**

_So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their ending._

_J R R Tolkien_

Emily was having a grand time. She wasn't quite sure how she had gotten Reid to agree to this, but she finding the situation hilarious. _Poor Reid_, she kept thinking giggling silently. After having the 'Snow White' conversation with Reid, she had decided it was time. She was ready to talk with Tobey O'Conner. But first she needed to get dressed, wearing pajamas, or what passed for her pajamas, wasn't going to cut it with Emily Prentiss being outside her hotel room. She'd eventually coerced Reid into going through her clothes, and picking out the things she needed to wear. Her ankle and thigh were still pretty sore, and she didn't want to tire them out before she made the trip to Police Station to interview Tobey.

Reid was muttering to himself, _how had she talked him into this?_ He was pawing through her clothes, through _Emily's_ clothes. It felt wrong, even though she had given him permissions, it still felt like a violation. Even if they were really good friends, Spencer Reid rifling through Emily Prentiss' underwear and other related items wasn't the kind of friendship he had thought they had, or one he particularly wanted. He could feel her smile though, could feel her silent soundless laughter, and that did kind of make up for it.

Garcia was worried. Reid had gone into Emily's room to speak with her half an hour ago, and he hadn't returned. He hadn't come out of her hotel room either. She decided enough was enough, she barged into the room to find Emily fitting with silent laughter and Reid prancing about the room holding up Emily's clothes in a ridiculously bad impression of an airhead deciding what to wear. Emily was gasping for breath, each time exhaling the word 'stop'. Her face was alight with laughter and Garcia couldn't bring herself to try and stop Reid. It was the first time since Emily had bee rescued from the UnSub that she'd seen Em smile (the way she had before this great honking mess).

"Reid what are you doing?" she exclaimed with mock horror.

"I'm…I was just…Emily - she made…Emily!" he ended with a pitiful whine.

For her part Emily just continued laughing, finally managing to save the wretched Reid with, "He's helping me get ready."

"Ready for what chickadee?"

"I'm ready to talk to Tobey." Emily replied.

"Well, how about this?" Garcia said, as she grabbed Emily's trusty red shirt, and black cargo pants. Emily seemed to consider them before another frown marred her face.

"Emily, what is it?" Reid asked quietly, moving toward the bed.

"Should I get Hotch…or Morgan?" Garcia asked worriedly.

"No." Reid's reply was so final that Garcia didn't even contemplate disregarding it, like she would normally have done. "Em?"

"I need to wear something white." She finally answered, after much silence.

"Do you have anything white here?"

"I don't think so…"

"Why does she want to wear white? You hardly ever wear white!" Garcia interrupted their quiet, special moment. She was getting quite sick of the eerily coordinated conversation they were having, _without her_, she nearly added.

"I have a white shirt you could borrow, it's got buttons down the front, is that okay?" Reid kept going as if Garcia had never spoken. "It won't be feminine though."

"That's fine…Garcia could you get that for me?" Emily answered.

Garcia started to refuse, but thought better of it when she saw Reid's determined and slightly panicked face. She left the room reluctantly.

Hotch, Morgan, Rossi and JJ watched with surprised interest as Garcia fled Emily's room, bolted straight for Reid's and returned carrying a white buttoned shirt.

"Garcia, what's going on?" Rossi asked, blocking her return to Emily's room.

"She's ready." Was the reply.

"She's ready?" Hotch was surprised, he would have thought Emily would have notified him first. He was after all her superior, but he felt within himself that he was actually jealous. Jealous that Reid and Garcia were the first people to be notified of this development. He selfishly wanted to be the first, the first to be told of developments, of changes in her situation, in her life, in her.

"Why are you bringing her one of Reid's shirts?" JJ asked. Her voice raw and raspy, she had taken to not speaking since Emily's release from Hospital. The culminative effect of constant crying showing clearly in her face, manner and voice.

"She wanted something white, so Reid offered his shirt!" Garcia seemed unusually despondent.

"What else?" Morgan said leaning toward, so he towered over her. He asked the question they all were wanting to ask. There were other things going on in this situation, and being profilers they were aware that Emily would only tell them when she was good and ready. They needed all the second-hand information they could gather, and Garcia was a prime information outlet.

"Reid and Emily, they've got this unspoken understanding thing going on."

"They've always had that." Morgan replied.

"I know, but it's different. It's like he knows more than we do about this. It was scary." She kept looking suspiciously at Emily's room, as if at any second she expected Reid or Prentiss to emerge and rant at her for revealing their secrets.

"Scary how?" Morgan pressed.

Garcia didn't get a chance to answer. Reid had appeared.

"Have you got the shirt? She would like to go soon."

"Here," she handed Reid the shirt, nobody moved. Reid was exceedingly commanding. He took control of their motley band, gave orders to Rossi and Morgan to get the SUV's ready. He instinctively assumed that the whole team would be accompanying them to the station. He didn't bother trying to get JJ or Garcia or even Hotch to leave. He knew they would not.

Hotch was amazed at the quick change in Reid's normally compliant nature. He was also astounded that the team had acquiesced so quickly to Reid's orders. Hotch was the Agent-In-Charge but they were obeying Reid. There hadn't even been the slightest idea of disobeying him or even movements or glances to check it was okay with SSA Hotchner. _What had been going on with Emily and Reid's relationship to cause such an unforeseen change as this is Reid's life?_

**So there you go, please review. I love reviews.**

**And, I promise that there is an end in sight for this story.**

**Arc  
**


	32. Chapter 32

**Yay! The next chapter is here, unfortunately the characters don't seem to be in any hurry to confront Tobey O'Conner. So you'll all just have to be a little bit more patient...**

Riding in Cars.

Reid hovered around Emily. He hadn't let any of the other team members approach her since he had given her his shirt. She was preparing. As soon as Garcia had left the room, Emily had explained the situation to him. He wasn't happy about it but at least she had trusted him with the information. He wasn't about to misplace the trust she had put in him.

Rossi was worried.

Reid was refusing to allow any of them contact with Emily. She was silent, and seemed to be brooding. At least if Emily ever brooded that would be what it looked like. He had seen her in deep thought before but this was entirely different. She seemed to be completely focused on something, something only she knew, something only she could see. Reid had tried to get everyone to go in the other SUV, so that only Emily and he would be in the second car. Hotch had flat out refused. At least one other member of the team had to accompany them to the station. Reid had looked nervously at Emily. He had aligned himself so that her eyesight met his, Rossi had watched Emily intently. It had taken her several moments to realize that there was a person looking at her, a person she knew well, one who was patiently waiting for her attention.

"Who should come in the car with us Emily?" Reid had asked, quietly and purposefully.

There had been no reply. For a long minute her facial expression didn't change. Her eyes showed no recognition of the question. She hadn't even recognized that Reid was standing directly in front of her, a foot away from her nose. No one else in the team had seen the next event to happen, only Rossi. And he had only seen the development because of where he had been standing. Reid, he had noticed, was very aware of the spatial considerations of the parking lot, and the individuals standing in it. Reid had reached out slightly, and clutched at her elbow, slowly increasing the pressure until finally, Emily answered.

"Hotch." She seemed to whisper it. The small one-syllable word seemed to take her immense effort. The team quickly and quietly moved to the SUV's and headed for the station.

Hotch's inner man was silently cheering. Out of everyone, she had chosen him to travel to the station with her. She could have chosen one of her two closest girl friends, JJ or Garcia. Garcia could have kept her mind off what she was about to do. Although the decision not to choose JJ wasn't that hard to figure out. JJ was extremely emotional, probably not the best idea to have her too close to Emily right at the moment. Emily could have chosen Morgan to go with her to the station, but he might have tried to be protective of her, and perhaps she didn't want that. God knew that Hotch was feeling some very protective urges toward Emily, as well some others. She had Rossi had quite a good relationship but still she had not chosen him, she had chosen Hotch.

While Hotch was silently enjoying the emotions attached to Emily's choice, the other car-full of people were all studying, dissecting and theorizing why Emily had not chosen them.

The reason was simple and clear.

Hotch was the least likely candidate of the group to talk.

In conversations; Rossi tended to put his foot in his mouth (making any conversation an obstacle course – intellectually stimulating but possibly emotionally straining), Morgan was physically imposing but conversationally he was joking and sweet (in a Derek-way) not something she needed right now, She needed to focus. JJ was emotionally unstable and in her present condition Emily was in no position to help her, Garcia was flitting about like a displaced mother hen, again not something Emily was able to deal with. Hotch was the best choice. He was stable, restrained and quiet…perfect.

Emily needed total focus to make this work.

Snow needed total focus to make this work.

They had never consciously worked together before. Snow White would converse with Tobey O'Conner, Emily would profile him and guide the interrogation. They would need to pool all their resources to find the locations of the previous victims, the previous attempts to find his wife. Slowly, their different views of Tobey were coming together. She was starting to think of Tobey as both UnSub and Prince. His house in the country as both dungeon and castle. Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella as both sister and corpse. It was disconcerting and morbid, it took a lot of effort for both personalities to stay in the forefront of her mind. They needed to maintain control of their body and their voices, their expressions and their thoughts. Emily wondered if they could give control to one of them but maintain a closeness so that swapping identities did not take so long, or as much effort as it had in the hospital.

On the ride to the station they practiced.

Reid was incredibly stressed.

Emily had explained how the interrogation would work. How Snow White was going to talk to Tobey, and she was going to lead the questioning. Reid had no choice but to accept her decision and do his best to help her, to make the situation as easy and as pleasant as possible.

She hadn't wanted to tell the team what was going to happen. She said she needed all the time she could get to prepare herself. She didn't need to added pressure of explaining, convincing and implementing her plan to the others. Reid understood her logic. He had found it odd to see the changes in Emily, to actually watch the rise and fall of Snow White on her face, her body. He noticed that Snow White had slightly different inflections to Emily. Emily had always had an ambassadorial voice, but Snow White's was even more refined, more pliable and polished. She vaguely sounded British…European, cultured. The UnSub would definitely get off on that, considering his accent had slight Irish undertones. Reid pushed that line of thought away, he could ponder the linguistic anomalies of Tobey O'Conner later. Right now, he had the important job of caring for Emily. Protecting her from the team. Not that they wouldn't notice, just long enough for them to not be able to interfere in her plan. Emily knew the UnSub better than anyone, and if she believed this was the best way of getting the information they needed, he was going to do everything in his power to help her.

**Why is that I really enjoy making Emily disturbing?**

**Also, why do we find it necessary to hurt our favourite characters, it must be some sort of sign of our culture... ;)**

**Arc**


	33. Chapter 33

**I promise that the NEXT chapter is Tobey and Emily talking. It's just the characters want to do things their own way and I have surprisingly little control over them.**

Desk Protection

It was clear to Reid that Hotch wanted to debrief _before_ Emily went into the interview room. He couldn't let that happen. There was one problem with that though, he just didn't know how to stop it from happening.

JJ and Garcia had commandeered some tables and chairs; they were sitting on either side of Emily, not talking to her or touching her but voraciously watching her like starving vultures circling a dying wildebeest (if a waif-like pregnant woman and a colorfully adorned blond could be construed as vultures).

Morgan and Rossi had situated themselves directly opposite the girls. They too were intently fixated on Prentiss. They cataloged and noticed and recorded every change in her behavior, every breath, every small twitch of her fingers, lips and eyes. There wasn't much for them to register though, Emily (except when interviewing suspects) was easy to read. At least her surface emotions and thoughts were open to them. They were aware that she did this on purpose, so that in dire emergencies the team would, being aware of her usual behavior, be able to determine from the silent signals whatever information she had to off to help rectify any given situation. But this was very different, there was little to no outward reflection of her inner thoughts. Emily was shut off of them, and so was this new persona of Snow White. At the hospital, Snow White and Emily had seemed to vie for dominance, (Emily usually wining). But this was wrong, there was a silent ominous person residing in Emily's body. She was neither of the two women they had become accustomed to seeing. There was no recourse, no option for them to utilize, until Emily Prentiss decided to reveal her thoughts to them, they were not going to know or understand anything happening today. For profilers, this was about the most frightening thing to occur…ever.

She breathed in slowly.

Breathed out.

Eyes closed.

In again, and out.

She stretched out her fingers, her palms still resting on the table she was sitting on. Felt the tendons and muscles in her fingers expand and pull, focused solely on those physical feelings. Shivers traveled down her back, psychosomatic or air-conditioner she didn't know. _We're ready_.

Emily rose and smoothed out her white shirt, the one Reid had loaned her. She opened her eyes and subtly motioned toward the interview room. Hotch stopped her from moving. He crowded over her, if she had been a smaller woman he would have towered over her.

"What's going on Prentiss?"

"I'm going to talk to Tobey." She replied, completely devoid of emotion, or inflection. She sounded like an automaton, or a prototype of a robot, or a computer generated voice projector. It was highly disturbing. Hotch looked disinclined to allow her to enter the room. Reid knew they would have to explain before going in.

"Hotch, Emily explained all this to me before. You need to trust us that this is the way to get the information we need."

"Reid, you have both done this without my consent , or even letting me in on your thought processes. I can't allow Emily to go in there in this state." Hotch was becoming agitated, this situation was rapidly careening out of his control.

"Emily explained everything to my satisfaction, and I understand completely what she plans to do. You said yourself that Tobey hasn't spoken one more word since his ultimatum. This is our best chance of doing this and Emily is ready."

"Reid," Morgan interrupted, "Emily's not exactly in the best place to being doing an interview, sure maybe if she was being herself, but she's not…she's stuck somewhere between herself and Snow White."

"No, she's not. She's knows exactly where she is. And it's the best place for her!" Reid was emphatic. There was no way he was going to let Emily down on this point. She'd asked for his help, trusted him with her secrets, her wobbling psyche, he was not going to be disloyal now.

"Um, guys…" JJ intruded upon the tense conversation. She and Garcia had been relegated to observers.

"Yeah, JJ?" Morgan answered with a huff. Rossi turned to view her better, while Hotch and Reid stared pointedly at each other, as if in some bizarre Mexican stand-off.

"Where's Emily?"

The group rapidly looked around the room, as if by some mysterious chance she would appear. JJ looked dismayed, she had lost Emily once again. She truly believed that it was her responsibility to look after Emily, to take care of Emily. She had already lost her once, she was never going to allow that to happen again. And yet is had happened. In a room full of FBI and Police Emily had once again disappeared. _How did this keep happening?_

He had been trapped in this cool, stucco colored room for a long time now. He was not sure, but guessed it to be around two days. He had not spoken for the entire time. It was not something he found difficult, he had already mastered the art of speechlessness. His grandfather had trained him in many things as a youth. Stealth and planning were two on the top of the list. A sense of heritage and duty and honor were others. He missed his grandfather keenly. As soon as Grandfather had died, the family had scattered. Tobey knew the family had only remained so long out of the iron grip his grandfather had maintained within the family. His Grandfather had always known how to run a family, a gathering, a meeting, a town. He had been the unopposed Mayor of the town for many years, the Mayoral role only changing when his grandfather had decided to retire, that was two years before his death. But many, many years ago for this town. He was unsure anyone living, other than the over 70's set, would even remember Grandfather.

Tobey had spent his time efficiently if not productively. He had taken this opportunity to pour over his past, to try and find the things, the events, that had created this life for him. The movements that had brought Snow White into his life. _This could not be the way their story ended_._ Could it?_ While he was about to give up the idea of ever understanding the circling thoughts his mind was currently trapped in, he heard noises outside. He wanted to rise and rush out, or gentlemanly open the door for the person on the other side. _He was nothing if not polite_. But he could not, for the Police had taken to chaining him to the chair he was sitting in, and linking that to a hook under the table. He could not move even if he had wanted to.

The door slinked open.

Slowly at first and then with more and more conviction, as if the person on the other side was not sure of their reception. As if they were afraid of what he might to do them.

He tried to stand when he saw who it was. Relief and pleasure flooded him. He managed to stand crouched over like a hump-back, the handcuffs cutting into his wrists. He ignored the pain. _She was here, his Snow White was finally here_.

**Yay, she finally got there!**

**Please review and let me know what you think, this fic is nearly over I promise...eventually.**

**I always keep my promises!**

**Arc  
**


	34. Chapter 34

**I posted the last chapter thinking...a couple of days and the interview will be ready to go. My muse had other things in mind. So instead of keeping with the usual length of posting, I give you this...enjoy.**

Observe...

_Snow White looked different_, he concluded, after several moments of silence. He realized that Snow White was no longer in the beautiful dress he had provided for her. She was wearing jeans, and a long sleeved shirt. Her hair was down, the way he liked, and she looked uncertain, as if she shouldn't be here with him.

"Hi." He began tentatively. He had no idea what lies or truths the Police had told her while they had been separated. She seemed in one piece and she still seemed to trust him.

"May I sit?" She inquired. He loved that she was still looking to him for direction. It meant that all their time together had not been for nothing.

He agreed quickly, watching her every movement. He was conscious that she never looked toward the mirror that lined one wall. He loved that about her, she had no concept of how beautiful she was. And it also meant that her entire being was focused on him, _as it should be_.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"The people at the hospital said I am fine now."

"I've been waiting for you…why didn't you come sooner?" He grimaced a little. He sounded like a petulant child, not the kind of Prince he truly was. _Take control_, he ordered himself.

"The people, those men from the clearing," she paused and looked at him, to make sure he knew to whom she was referring. He nodded emphatically. He remembered every single man that had been there, the dark man who had tried to approach his Snow without permission and the two severe men who had kept hold of him. How one of the severe men had gone running to his Snow White when had collapsed out of the shock of so many unworthy men surrounding her. The same men who had not allowed him access to Snow. He desperately wanted to know everything that had happened to her while she was away from him. But he didn't want to interrupt her so he merely let the nod subside, and beckoned for her to continue. "They said I had to remain in hospital for a while, to make sure I was okay."

He nodded again, _that made sense, everyone would be concerned with her welfare…who wouldn't be concerned about Snow White, she was perfect_._ She needed to be protected from every bad thing in this world_.

Tobey turned his head quickly when he heard more voices and noises emanating from the other side of the door.

"They went through your house Tobey." Snow White said, bringing his attention back to her. She must not have heard any noises outside their little room. However, she was always more concerned with him than any other event or person. _As it should be_.

Finally, her last remark pierced his thoughts, "They went through my house?" He went to stand up again, in righteous indignation, but quickly remembered his hands were cuffed.

"To try and find my room, maybe they wanted to find my clothes." _She was so sweet and innocent and trusting_. "They could not find my room Tobey…do you know why?"

"That's going to be our room Snow, you don't need to worry about what those men could or couldn't find. All you need to do is trust me. I'll take care of everything."

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

Rossi was standing a little too close to the mirror for his liking. But he wasn't about to move. After a few seconds of Emily-induced chaos, the team had calmed down and realized she was probably talking to Tobey. Just like she said she would, but they couldn't afford to go in and break that up now, especially if she had already gotten into his room. It would make them look incompetent. Better to let the UnSub believe he had gotten some special consideration, or that Emily had sneaked into see him. Perhaps it would feed into his delusions. Morgan, Hotch and Reid were lined up against the back of the small room. The observation room was even smaller than the interview room. JJ and Garcia had wanted to observe but the room was too small. So they had been asked, rather firmly by Hotch, to stay outside and keep the rest of the station busy and away from the interview room. Emily did not need any interruptions.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

"_They went through my house!"_ Tobey screeched, attempting to stand up in rage. His anger and derision at the restraints showing on his face.

Emily was unmoved. She sat stoically and kept talking.

"_To try and find my room…"_

Rossi shifted a tiny bit, causing the others to move to find better vantage points as well. He wanted to see Emily's facial expression more clearly. Her voice was leaving much to desire. In all of his experience with Emily Prentiss he had never heard her so vacant, so devoid of intonation and nuance.

"_You need to trust me_. _I'll take care of everything_._" _The tonal quality and expression on Tobey's face was so predatory and disturbing that Rossi took an unconscious step backward. He quickly righted himself. He didn't want to cause another mass movement within the tiny room.

Behind him Morgan and Hotch both reflexively fisted their jackets into their hands to avoid bolting into the room and yanking Emily out.

Reid simply watched her, looked for any of the obligatory signs of Emily or Snow White. If he could cataloge their individual expressions he would instantly know with whom he was conversing or observing. He was slowly beginning to recognize one from the other. But in this particular instance, Emily and Snow White seemed to be working together, they were collaborating to interview Tobey effectively. He wondered what questions they would ask next, _where were they taking this interview_?

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

"Tobey. Can I ask you something?" Snow/Emily softened her words further, slid down her seat a little bit more. She made herself smaller and weaker, reliant, subservient.

"You can ask me anything." He voice was gentle and clear.

"It's about Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty."

"They are perfectly fine. They can take care of themselves. They will wait for us."

"Of course, I just…" She trailed off, _how should we ask this?_

"Snow? You can ask, there will be no repercussions this time." He earnestly reached out to her with his cuffed hands, imploring her to grasp his.

_She didn't want to touch him, _**she desperately wanted to hold him**. Emily and Snow White struggled for a few precious seconds, long enough for both the occupants of the observation room and the interview room to realize something was wrong.

"What it is? Have those other men turned you against me already? Are you that fickle. I thought you were better than all the rest but you are aren't you. You ungrateful little wh-"

Snow White immediately took control.

"No, Tobey!" Her hand immediately stretched out and grabbed his. He quietened instantaneously.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

Behind the mirror, they all tensed. Tobey yelled at Emily, in his anger he pulled at the handcuffs on his wrists and scraped the table along the floor. The very heavy, supposedly immovable table that he was chained to for the express purpose of restricting his mobility. They watched in mute amazement as her hand appeared to move of its own volition. They were holding hands now, it was like a switch had been flicked in Tobey's mind. As if he had an off/on capacitor that was tuned into his emotions. This was a very dangerous man.

"_Tobey, I got distracted, I was thinking about Cinderella and Beauty waiting for us and I thought_. _Why are they always around?"_

"_They are your near-sisters; I explained all this to you already_._"_ Tobey appeared puzzled by Emily's question.

Evidently, Prentiss had found an entryway to the information they needed to retrieve from him. Hotch had already come to a decision about this perpetrator; he would never be allowed out of a penitentiary. Not as long Hotch was still alive to prevent it. _Could he work that into a clause of his will?_

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

"I know they are my near-sisters Tobey, I'm pleased that they are. However, I wonder at the place they seem to hold in your life." She paused to gauge his reaction. Upon the lack of one, Snow/Emily proceeded. "I am your wife, am I not?"

"Yes." He was pleased.

"Yet, you allow these other two to remain in our house. Of course, when you were determining me, that made sense. But now. I don't know." She shook her head sadly, in regret.

"What doesn't make sense?" This was new. He had not expected Snow to have any interest in the running of the household. He had not anticipated she would actually have an curiousness in regard to their future, that she would have ideas and things to contribute. He was secretly delighted, but for now it would be best not to show her what he was feeling.

"They failed you."

_Oh, but she was perfect_.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

Garcia was extremely put out. Hotch had all but ordered JJ and herself out of the observation room. He had _politely asked_, Hotch-speak for 'get out now'. They had successfully cordoned off the area, and distracted the remaining law enforcement officers but Penelope was dying to know what was occurring in the closed room. _Was her Emily handling herself well, were the boys taking care of her, was the information that needed uncovering being uncovered, or was Snow White simply manipulating this situation for her own benefit?_

Garcia came to a decision;

Option A – remain in the proverbial dark, reliant on second-hand information she may or may not be given at a later date when this whole debacle was finished.

OR…

Option B – hack into the surveillance equipment and watch the interview in a quiet corner of the room.

_This is a hard decision_, she thought sarcastically. Her laptop was already on standby, one or two quick minutes later, and Garcia was watching Tobey and Emily hold hands.

"Yuck!" She exclaimed aloud, drawing JJ's attention. She had the sound turned down, just low enough for herself and anyone standing directly over, or next to her, to hear it.

"_They failed you_._"_ Emily said, still clasping her hand to his. Thankfully JJ didn't come over. This was one thing that the pregnant self-blaming woman did not need to know, see or imagine.

The evil man did not answer her, he merely stared at her with a disgusting look mixed with awe and confusion, and lust.

"_I know that they were the better ones, the two that were almost perfect, but that they failed you in someway_._"_

A look of comprehension appeared, _"Yes that's true…"_

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

"Tobey, why did they fail you?" She was genuinely interested.

"Sleeping Beauty was the first that nearly completed me." His mind wandered, he was no longer in this tiny room. He was in Snow White's attic, long before she had ever set foot in that room, in the town, in this area. "There was three wrong ones before her."

"Wrong ones?"

"I wasn't always this adept at finding who I'm supposed to marry. It's taken me a long time to find you. To see the signs. To understand what snow was trying to tell me."

"Why didn't Beauty…I mean, why aren't you married to her."

"No, ask him about the others!" Morgan hissed at her from the other room. Rossi and Hotch looked at him sharply. As if by some miraculous chance Emily would actually be able to hear him from the other room.

"Sleeping Beauty was supposed to wake up when I kissed her. I am the Prince after all."

"Yes, you are."

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

Garcia almost gagged on a little bit of vomit when she saw the pure look of adoring love on Emily's face.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

"But she didn't, she just continued to sleep, for days and days, and after a couple of months. I realized I must not be her true love. She was harboring feelings for some other less worthy Prince. If I was not her true love, there was no way she was ever going to wake up."

"Is that why she is still on my bed?"

"It would be wrong of me to move her, she was almost perfect. She was almost you. She could have been you if she only loved me truly. If she only had true love in her heart for me as you do."

"And Cinderella?" Her head tilted in the adorable manner that he had come to love.

"I kept waiting and waiting and hoping that her Godmother would arrive. But she never did. Perhaps she didn't have one, and if she truly doesn't have a Godmother, or even a Grandmother, like my Grandfather, then she can't be the real Cinderella. Can she?"

Snow/Emily had absolutely no idea what Tobey was talking about, _grandmothers and grandfathers?_, but she knew better than to let him know that. "Of course she can't."

"That's exactly what I thought. One day she just fell asleep like Beauty."

"Near the fireplace."

"Right. In your room. It didn't feel right to move her either. I can't blame her for her Godmother not appearing. She was so close."

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

"Wait. Does this mean Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, are two of the victims?" Morgan asked.

"It seems so." Rossi replied.

"He kept the corpses in the attic?" Hotch postulated.

"With Emily." Morgan grimaced in sympathy.

Reid knew this already, he remained silent. Intent on watching Emily's mannerisms and expressions.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

"The ones that were wrong," she began cautiously, "The first three before Beauty, and the ones before Cinderella."

"Two before Cinderella."

"Of course. And the one before me."

Tobey nodded, remembering the previous _wrong_ Snow. She had been so unbelievably close to being the _right_ Snow. But her affinity with the snow was slightly off. He needed a completely 'affinitive woman to snow' woman.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

"She just got him to admit that he's abducted nine women." Morgan spoke in hushed tones.

"We know the fate of four of those women now, we just need her to get the rest of the information." Hotch replied.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

_She seemed stuck_, Penelope thought.

Silence had reigned in the interview room for almost two minutes. Emily looked slightly lost.

"Say something, do something." She begged through the screen.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

"We should do something." Rossi said.

"NO." Reid answered in a decidedly final tone.

Questioning glances followed his statement. Hotch was giving him a lot of latitude, had been giving him a lot of latitude and it was leaving him very quickly.

"Emily is deciding the most effective way of getting the information we need." Reid couldn't stop the wince that worked it's way out from his mind.

"What's the most effective way, Reid?" Hotch's voice was cold and suspicious.

"It depends who is in control. I think that's why she's been so quiet and still...They're fighting."

"Who's fighting?" Rossi asked.

"Emily and Snow White."

"Reid, you said she could handle this. I would never have let her stay in there if I thought this other personality was going to be a controlling factor in this interview." Hotch looked thunderous.

"She can handle this. And she can handle Snow White. It's just…"

"What!" Morgan asked exasperatedly.

"When we talked before, she was worried that the only way to get the information we needed would be for Snow White to…" he waved his hand, attempting to find the appropriate word.

"To…what?" Morgan asked again, more exasperation bleeding through his voice.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

Tobey had been contemplating Snow White in the silence. It was obvious there was another question burning in her mind. He would wait for her to ask it. But this time there was going to be a price. He was well aware that the Law would not understand his quest for a bride. His Grandfather had always warned him that if their methods were ever discovered they would be cast in dungeons for eternity. That was just the way this twisted and perverse world worked. People misunderstood the great men in this land all the time.

"I have one last question Prince." Her hands folded in her lap, she was beseeching him as one would the king and queen of the faeries.

"I want payment for this one."

"What kind of payment?" It was not asked cautiously or derisively, but with expectation. _Does she already know what I am going to ask her? She probably does, she knows this is the only way we will ever be allowed to do this_.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

"Payment?" Garcia echoed worriedly.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

"The payment the Princess gave the Swineherd." Tobey answered her question.

Her face paused mid-expression. If Tobey had of known Emily Prentiss he would have recognized it to be shock.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

Garcia certainly saw the shock. _Princess and the Swineherd?_ She immediately began a search for the answer. _What kind of payment would that make?_

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

For her part, Emily had immediately recognized what the payment would be. Unfortunately, Snow White was rejoicing over the fact. Emily had been dreading anything remotely to do with this aspect of their relationship. _How was she ever going to explain this to the team?_

**Blame me.**

_Reid will know_.

**Spencer will understand it was me.**

_I won't, I don't understand, I'd be letting you/us do this_.

**I can force you do this if I need to.**

_You wouldn't!_

**You said I could say Goodbye, this would qualify.**

_Saying goodbye and what he's asking are too very different things_.

**This would qualify as my Goodbye, Emily.**

_And then you'd go, no fuss?_

**Agreed. Make your decision.**

_We do need to find the other victims_.

**The failures, not victims.**

_Fine, whatever_._ Do it_.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

Spencer Reid had yet to answer Morgan's question. He was still vainly hoping that what Emily had been worried about would never need happen. Thankfully, Tobey and Snow's conversation had continued. So his attention had been directed elsewhere.

Morgan watched in confusion as Emily had once again lapsed into contemplative silence. This time though, he could see the struggle come out through her clasped hands. They fought and twisted in her lap. It was like the left side of her brain was fighting the right side. Or perhaps it was Emily controlling the left side of the brain and Snow White the right? In any event it was disturbing and he prayed Emily would win. _Whatever payment she was supposed to give was unnecessary_._ Right?_

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

"Answers before payment." Snow White answered him.

He was delighted, there was truly nothing better than anticipation.

"I want to know where the others are, where are all ones who could have been my near-sisters. Who in a lesser way are my near-sisters. They all lead you to me…I'd like to know where they are."

"Do you remember we were got married?"

"Or course I do, that's not something I'm likely to forget." She smiled as him.

"Do you remember the building behind the stone altar?"

"Yes."

"That building was started by my Grandfather. It's special. I wanted to honor his memory."

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

"Where's he going with this Hotch?" Morgan inquired, "didn't you assign some men to scour that clearing?"

"I did." He responded.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

"Honor how?"

"I finished building it."

"Wait, your Grandfather?"

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

Reid watched as something clicked in Emily's brain. He could literally see the pieces forming a whole. _But would she still have to make the payment? Could he get her out of there before it happened, or had she made another deal with Snow White_. He sighed in extreme frustration, causing all three men to look at him.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

"I told you his story, and my mothers."

"I remember." The shock was evident on her face. _When had he told her this?_

**We were asleep next to Sleeping Beauty.**

_He woke us_.

**Told us the story on the way to the clearing.**

_**I remember everything.**_

"He buried your father within the walls." She said.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

"He buried his what in the where?" Morgan echoed. This kept getting stranger and stranger. _He just wanted all of this to end_.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

"Yes. And I carried on the tradition."

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

"Oh God!" Garcia exclaimed in sickening realisation. Not only for the fact that this pervert's victims had become mortar for the building she had seen on Google-earth, but also for the fact that the unceasing wonders of the internet had finally found the Hans Anderson fairytale 'The Swineherd'.

Payment was in kisses.

She stood hurriedly grabbed JJ and ran, as best as she could dragging a pregnant woman behind her, for the small room most of her team were currently residing in.

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

"Thank you." Emily said to Snow White. She knew they would never had got this information without her help.

Tobey thought she was thanking him, he smiled viciously, "There's no need to thank me, I'm getting paid for this."

The guys watched as the woman standing in front of them visibly changed from Emily to Snow White.

"_She was not thanking you, dear Prince_."

"_Who was she…you…talking to?"_ Tobey stuttered in confusion.

"_She was talking to me_."

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS_  
_

Two things happened simultaneously; Garcia burst through the door screaming "SHE'S GOING TO KISS HIM!", while beyond the mirror Snow White pounced on Tobey O'Conner for all she was worth and kissed him goodbye.

**FINALLY!**

**One last post I think, and this lovely (and I say lovely in the Criminal Minds disturbing way) fic will be finished.**

**Review thanks folks, I love your feedback.**

**Arc  
**


	35. Chapter 35

**So, my muse was on a roll again. And this poured out. It is, sadly, and also happily (for me), the last chapter of this story. Yay, I finally got here! I know I left everyone hanging onto the precipice last chapter, but time had to be shifted for me to be able to write this concluding chapter...so I hope that it is ended sufficiently for all my patient and committed readers :)**

Redeem and Return.

_When Christmas bells are swinging above the fields of snow, we hear sweet voices ringing from lands of long ago, and etched on vacant places are half-forgotten faces of friends we used to cherish, and loves we used to know_.

_Ella Wheeler Wilcox_

Everything had happened so quickly. And yet it had happened so slowly too. With the information Emily had provided, the bodies of the victims were found. Delilah Hanover, Ariel Wannamaker, Susie Toole, Belinda Munch and Cady Plumpton were are still on Tobey O'Conner's property. The families were given peace of mind, to at least where their daughters were and what had become of them.

The team left Alleghany County as soon as they were able. Bad memories, bad experiences and bad fairytales surrounded them there. At least in the safety of the jet and their cars and their homes, they could forget, for a short while the horrors that place had wreaked in Emily's life, and consequently their own.

Morgan still could not get that final moment out of his head. He was both perplexed and amused. He and the rest of the team had just been alerted to Snow White's intentions by Garcia, they hadn't the chance to do anything, because to everyone's surprise the door to the interview room swung violently open.

A blazing inferno of righteous anger had exploded through the door, in the form of one Jennifer Jareau. She effortlessly pulled Emily away from Tobey O'Conner with one hand and proceeded to right hook the man to the face. She caught him perfectly on the jaw. The jaw that happened to be made of glass, so that at that particular point, and on that particular angle, he had gone down. Knocked Out. KO-ed, down for the fight, sleeping the deep sleep.

"You had better have an exceptionally good reason for doing that!" JJ had loudly warned Emily.

"You could have tricked him, he had already told you what we needed to know." Garcia added as the others crowded in behind her. They had somehow regained mobility in their limbs and had rushed around the wall to see how Emily was faring, in person not through glass. They wanted to see and to know if she had truly lost her mind this time.

Snow White, disturbingly, had answered them, "It was payment, not for him. From Emily to me."

"Emily owed you payment?" Rossi asked, he was nothing if not willing to follow Reid's lead in this bizarre spectacle. And since Reid didn't seem to have a problem conversing with Snow White then neither did he.

"I help her finish this. Find out what you need to know about his failures, I get to say goodbye. A proper Goodbye. Emily is stubborn and strong and a survivor, but I'm persistent and patient and this was the only way she could get rid of me." She grinned at them, the exact same way Emily did when she was about to tell a joke, or relay a hilarious anecdote. If it had been possible the team would have taken a couple of steps back to get away from this Emily, evil, doppelganger.

Morgan remembered how suddenly and sort of poetically, Snow White/Emily's head had dropped, her hand rising to her forehead in an instant headache.

JJ grabbed at her elbow, steadying her friend.

Moments passed, nobody moved.

The tall woman looked up, tired and relieved, "It's over."

"She's gone?" Reid had asked, moving directly in front of her, looking into her eyes for any sign of Snow White.

She waited a few more moments, doing a silent inventory of herself, her psyche. "Yes…I'm sure."

UNSUBCRIMINALMINDS

In the end, Hotch had decided it would be better for Emily both emotionally and mentally _not_ return to Tobey's property. He took the entire police force of Alleghany County out to the clearing though, the cursory examine of the stone building not showing anything. It was understandable how the two police officers had not found the victims' remains. But upon further, closer inspection, small bone0like structures had been found in the walls. They had finally and properly identified the whereabouts of The Snowman's victims. It was going to take a very long time to extract the bodies and have them returned to their families.

Prentiss, after being readmitted to the hospital after pulling the stitches in her thigh, had gone through Garcia's simulation program to see if she could identify where the attic room might be. She had figure out that Garcia's program was missing a doorway in the large room. Upon closer inspection at the house by Sheriff Coulter, a false wall had been discovered. From the perspective of one trapped in the attic, it would seem like a real door opening out to the large room, but from any other direction, it was merely a void in the wall. This was how the bodies of Ariel Wannamaker (Sleeping Beauty) and Cady Plumpton (Cinderella) were discovered.

Hotch had ordered Emily to take some time off, she wasn't even allowed to think about coming back in, or even trying to come back in until two weeks had expired. Then she would have to pass the psych evaluation.

No one on the team had tried to approach her about the events in Alleghany County. They had spent time with her, visiting, shopping, dinner, movies, but no conversations about Tobey O'Conner. Emily was becoming increasingly frustrated. She could see them continuously avoiding the subject, and it was annoying. She was completely fine, she had dealt with the repercussions of what had happened to her, what Tobey had done to her, and what she had had to do to survive.

That's not to say that upon returning to her apartment she hadn't broken down, crying hysterically at what she had endured. Because she had, and it had been a perfectly normal thing. A normal and healthy release of the fears, and terror, and relief that came from experiencing a traumatic event. But she truly had dealt with the primary effects.

She would probably be wary of showering when they went out in the field from now on, possibly overcoming it in a few months, or after they'd had ten cases. She didn't really like to put time limits on overcoming trauma. She'd seen what happened to Reid when he'd pushed himself into thinking he was okay. She wasn't going to make the same mistakes as him, and she was pretty sure he wouldn't let her make them either. Spencer was the only one who openly talked about Tobey and Snow White. Reid knew how she had dealt with the pain and insecurities that her personality split had caused in her. He knew how efficiently she was coping with everything that had happened, and how well she was preparing to deal with the fallout in the future. His respect and admiration for her grew daily. As did Emily's faith in him grew and her amazement at his compassion.

Two weeks, three days later and at eleven-thirty-five in the morning at Quantico. Hotch, Rossi, Morgan, Reid, Garcia and JJ were huddled, as much as a large group can huddle, around Emily's desk in the bullpen at the BAU. Resting upon her desk was a bag, a suspicious bag, a suspiciously Emily-owned looking bag. Nobody wanted to go near. Emily had not returned to the BAU yet, she hadn't even indicated to anyone, other than Reid, whether or not she was thinking about coming back. Of course, at some point in the future she would, no doubt about that. But for the foreseeable future, she would have to see a FBI psychologist first. No one had heard any mention of that either.

_So what was this bag doing here?_

"Has anyone tried to ring Emily?" Morgan asked the group.

"I have," JJ replied. "It went straight to voice mail both times."

"Home and work?" Hotch inquired.

"Yep."

They were still standing in silent vigil, when they heard Emily's laughing lilt carried through the pen. They collectively turned to see Emily and Agent Bordeaux, one of the FBI's psychologists walking toward her desk.

"I'm glad to see how open you are to my suggestions. I was expecting more of a struggle. Most agents don't appreciated those kinds of suggestions. Especially when they know that it's actually an order." Agent Bordeaux said.

"I've experienced my fair share of following orders, I understand what is necessary even when I don't like it." Emily smiled back at him.

"Okay, well I definitely believe you're more than ready to be re-instated, with a couple of contingencies and…" he let the rest of the sentence trail off as he realized her whole team were crowding the bull pen.

"You're being reinstating?" Rossi asked incredulously, _surely she wasn't ready yet_.

"Apparently." She replied with a smug smile.

Before too many questions could be thrown around Agent Bordeaux intercepted them, "I've spent two sessions with Agent Prentiss, one last week outlining her ordeal, and one session today-"

"Is two sessions enough?" Hotch asked without waiting for Bordeaux to finish.

He returned Agent Hotchner's look coolly, "I am more than satisfied with my assessment. I do not believe keeping Emily from the field will help her to recover, I believe in fact that it would be detrimental."

"Look, guys. I know that you've all been avoiding the subject like the plague but I think that in this instance I need to explain a few things." Emily interjected, "and Agent Bordeaux agrees with me, let's go move out of the pen, shall we?"

The team were silent as Emily stood in front of them, she had just finished explaining how Snow White had emerged, how she had done the things needed to survive O'Conner's rage and unpredictability. How in the hospital with Reid's help she had bargained with Snow White, bought her freedom, and recognised who and what Snow White was, a construction of herself.

The kiss Snow White had bestowed on Tobey seemed to be the bone of contention for the team. Even Reid had been slightly unable to understand that too. Emily wasn't sure she would ever be able to explain that action to their satisfaction. It was a necessary expression for Snow White, but a repulsive thing for Emily.

"Look, I know that you don't understand some of the things that I had to do, the things I allowed Snow White to do. But I believed at the time that they were essential. That they were necessary to get the information we needed, and allow myself the opportunity to recover. The personality of Snow White is gone. I can assure you of that, and I am fine. I am recovered, recovering. Nothing wholly bad happened to me. I was beat up a little and held captive but nothing really horrible." She didn't know what else to say to them. Agent Bordeaux had cleared her and that was all that was really necessary, but she wanted the teams approval before she started working with them again.

The team seemed unsure of how to vocalize their acceptance of Emily. They loved her, cared about her and wanted her back on the team, but surely two weeks wasn't enough time.

"Agents, I appreciate your desire to make sure Emily is fully recuperated before she resumes working, but…Emily and I have been working together for a long time."

"A _very_ long time." Emily interrupted Bordeaux with a smirk.

"And I know for a fact, that this apparition, if you will, of Snow White is gone. And if that is still not enough to calm your worries, then I suggest you read or reread Emily's statement. She is telling the truth, she did not suffer much more than physical damage, the degree of trauma she might have suffered could have been significantly worse. For example, she was never truly alone, she knew you were all coming for her, working toward finding her as quickly as possible. She also already had a working profile of the man, so in that respect she had clues about how to behave in order to prevent possible damage or inflammation of his temper."

Emily added, "I constructed Snow White so that I could buy the time I needed for you to get to me, and it worked effectively. I was not really in any danger of losing my life, he'd already decided he wanted me in his life." She left the other part unspoken. Everyone was aware that although, she might have been allowed to live, she wouldn't have escaped him unscathed, had the team not arrived when they did.

The team were silent still, finally Garcia spoke. "I may not understand everything that happened to you, but if you say that this is over and everything is behind you, I accept that." She stood hurriedly and hugged Prentiss. Soon every member had stood, repeated similar sentiments and given her either brief or long hugs, depending on her level of usual physical contact with them.

"By the way," Emily added, "I never did get to say…Nice right hook JJ!"

Startled, JJ laughed, "Well, he deserved it!"

"Yeah, but you knocked him right out, I didn't get a chance to do it and now I won't."

The tension in the team finally broken, laughter and humor returned. Morgan and Reid acting like goofy brothers, re-enacting JJ's marvelous rescue of Emily. Garcia grinning in the background adding pockets of instruction so that the re-enactment would be perfect. Hotch and Rossi watching over the group with fatherly sentiment. Their family was finally back together.

Agent Bordeaux slipped out of their space, knowing that he'd been seeing Agent Prentiss on a regular basis. One of his conditions for her to return to work. No one else on team might know or understand her. But he'd seen her come through a lot worse than a Snowman. The FBI were still slowly learning what could happen to their agents when people got too close to the criminal mind.

More laughter followed him down the corridor, he turned one last time to see Emily's face light up in happiness, saw it reflected in each of her team mates and knew that everything was going to be all right. Better in fact, because with each horrific event that they passed through still intact, their family unit, their connection to each other grew stronger.

They truly were a loving, caring, ass-kicking, killer-catching profiling super-team. And once again they had beaten the bad guy, saved the day and brought peace to many families and communities.

**Yay, yeah, whoop! *Arc does the happy-dance around the computer* Finally, finally finished...so happy. But please review and let me know how this all felt to you, my happy little readers and reviewers!**

**Arc**

**I am so pleased, my longest story ever. I'm so proud of myself... :)  
**


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